Shame on the Met Police

The events surrounding the arrest of Graham Linehan, comedian and co-writer of the Father Ted series, is gravely concerning to anyone who values freedom of thought and God-given common sense.

According to campaigner Christopher Joyce, the UK has become an international laughing stock after five armed officers lay in wait at Heathrow to drag the comedy writer into custody to interrogate him over posts he made online. He had written on X:

"If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act. Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls."

He subsequently clarified: "I explained that the 'punch' tweet was a serious point made with a joke", and that it was about "the height difference between men and women...and certainly not a call to violence".

The pressure of his interrogation caused him to collapse under the stress of it all, with doctors warning his blood pressure had reached stroke levels. He was eventually released, but has been told that he can no longer share his views on X.

Mr Linehan has suffered dearly, simply for challenging the idea that men who claim to be women should not intrude into women-only spaces. No one should ever be arrested, silenced, or hospitalised simply for what they believe. His ordeal shows how vague and politicised 'speech crimes' are now being weaponised to punish dissent and intimidate critics. Thankfully, London is known for its absence of violence and its tranquil, safe streets, as well as its general lack of anti-social behaviour, shoplifting, knife crime and violence against women, which is why the Metropolitan Police could spare five officers to lie in wait to arrest a well-known man getting off his plane.  

The Metropolitan Police is a disgrace to this country and an insult to the great Sir Robert Peel who founded it back in 1829. It uses its energy and resources to gag speakers of the truth, while ignoring the crime waves and violent disorder taking place under its nose. This country is going through dark times. 

Then they came for the Comedians.
-And I did not speak out
Because I was not a comedian.
Then they came for me.
-And there was no one left
To speak out for me.

-After Pastor Martin Niemöller