Thursday, November 25, 2010
Arden Forester
Howard Flight is what some would see as an unreconstructed Tory. He has made some remarks in his time that have not found favour with the leadership. However, that didn't stop David Cameron making him a peer last week. The former MP for Arundel and South Downs, who is yet to take his seat in the House of Lords, has been commenting on the government's plans to cut child benefit for top-rate taxpayers. He told the London Evening Standard "We're going to have a system where the middle classes are discouraged from breeding because it's jolly expensive. But for those on benefits, there is every incentive. Well, that's not very sensible." He didn't actually refer to the poor "breeding" but he used the word in this context. However, the press have seen fit to twist it a bit to get a better negative slant.
Within hours of being reported he was offering a fulsome "apology". Interesting that he gets the Labour Party fuming but Harriet Harman could speak of "ginger" politicians. She apologised too. But should politicians have to apologise? Should we not just judge them on the words they say? Free speech should not be restrained into restricted speech. It is right that there are certain limits, such as abusive or racist language being off limits. But there now appears to be a form of censorship in the air.
Also, hypocrisy rises up on occasions. The Speaker was apparently offended at David Cameron repeating a joke that he had heard told about the speaker's height. Yet the speaker himself often refers to his height as a jokey introducton to speeches. Is self-mockery acceptable but mocking others not?
The content of free speech is not necessarily to everyone's liking, but self-righteous humbug leads to censorship and a lack of true thought and feeling.
