Free Speech and the Trade Union Movement

One of the biggest problems with anti-defamation legislation is that, in attempting to cope with Lernaean nature of ideological bigotry, it tends to start off casting a wide net and ends in being abused by the politically interested to enforce censorship and to stifle freedom of expression. This is done not so much for the suppression of particular statements as it is to engender a climate of fear and to ensure compliance with some political stance or other.

This has been illustrated amply today by the Unison trade union, with their frankly bizarre over-reaction to petrol-head buffoon Jeremy Clarkson's voicing of an opinion that striking public workers should be dragged in front of their families and shot.

Let's break this down. Firstly, Clarkson is saying that he disagrees with the strike. Not a hugely unpopular stance, especially with those whose private pensions were pillaged a decade ago by Unison's buddies in the Labour government, and at present not voicing support for the left is not a criminal offence, however much the TUC may wish it to be.

Secondly, Clarkson was making the tongue-in-cheek suggestion that people he disagrees with should be shot. Over the top, but it was a joke, and the political left have always made similar statements ("you'll be the first against the wall when the revolution comes" etc).

But according to some witch-faced old harridan on BBC News at Lunchtime, that is 'incitement to hatred' and Unison is taking legal advice over it.

Clarkson has, probably under BBC pressure, issued an apology, which is kind of mission accomplished for the Marxists in the trade union movement. But Clarkson and others who feel the same way may wish to watch TV footage of union picket lines, student demonstrations and anti-capitalist sit-ins for evidence of signs saying "Eat the Rich!" or "Hang the bankers!" and dial 101 when they spot one. After all, despite what commies might think, sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, and if a BBC journalist can be threatened with legal action for 'incitement to hatred', then why not a Unison shop steward, or a student, or a Tarquin or Cressida playing anarchists?

If someone slaps you round the face, you don't turn the other cheek, you smash his face in. Unison slapped Clarkson and the concept of freedom of expression today. Make the unions eat their teeth.

Now that's hatred.