Antisemitic UK Labour Party wants to police other people’s speech.

Leftists used to champion free speech. But the British Labour Party is now demanding emergency legislation to censor vaccine ‘misinformation’ online. As if stamping out unwelcome ideas was remotely possible. As if a historic pandemic and a historic economic recession weren’t enough for governments to contend with. Let’s make matters worse by rushing through hamfisted legislation virtually guaranteed to undermine free speech of all kinds.

The SkyNews report is here: Labour spokesman calls anti-vax content ‘garbage’ after demand for emergency social media law. Please notice this is the same political party that has spent the past few years under investigation due to its culture of antisemitism. In a 130-page report released last month, the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission concluded the Labour Party is responsible for “unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination” against members of the Jewish community.

So here’s an idea. Labour has homework to do. All that poison, garbage, conspiracy theories and nonsense (words used by Labour spokesperson Jonathan Ashworth) needs to be banished from its own organization first.

Thankfully, not everyone has lost their minds. Scottish doctor Malcolm Kendrick responds here: Stamping on the ‘anti-vaxxers’ – a very stupid idea. In his words, “You don’t win arguments by clubbing people into submission. All you do is silence them and redouble their determination.”

If what you’ve just read is useful or helpful,
please support this blog

LINKS:

• In July 2019, long before COVID-19 appeared, Kendrick expressed concern about the tone of many vaccine discussions: “I am a member of an on-line doctors’ community in the UK called Doctors Net. Not open to the public. Whenever any story about vaccination emerges, the vitriol, anger and naked rage is quite scary to observe….For some reason, I am not entirely sure why, to question any ‘fact’ about vaccination is to be flung into the outer darkness. People get very, very, angry. They close their minds and they get polarised.”
• my previous commentary: Vaccines are Complicated