c/uk_politics · by NickwithaC@lemmy.world · 343d

Free speech laws need to be reviewed after Linehan arrest, says Streeting

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2922w73e1o

No surprises that Wes Streeting, who took away trans people's right to healthcare, is siding with the guy who says of trans women "punch him in the balls" if one dares use the toilet with a W on the door. I'm not even trans and I can see straight through this twat. He really needs to take his history degree and get out of the health secretary role.

24 points · 16 comments · view on lemmy.world

16 Comments

als@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 23 pts · 343d (1 reply)

So saying to punch trans women in the balls should be protected speech but saying "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action" should be a criminal offense? Only one of these is advocating for violence.

G4Z@feddit.uk · 2 pts · 342d

I don't think you can infer that...

I don't like the way this law has been applied in this and other cases and I don't think what he's said warrants police action. I also am entirely against proscribing PA and the way the government has gone after protestors.

I'm against both these things.

phutatorius@lemmy.zip · 10 pts · 342d

Streeting's continued employment needs to be reviewed even more urgently.

cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone · 5 pts · 342d

streeting is a wretched bigoted homophobe and that's all he'll ever be

also a reminder that the government is defending a guy who called on people to assault women in bathrooms

Flax_vert@feddit.uk · 4 pts · 342d

What he said was a clear incitement of violence. That's undeniable.

MouldyCat@feddit.uk · 4 pts · 343d (1 reply)

I never know much about political figures so I did a quick search and thought I'd share a summary here. Any corrections or comments welcome (I put this together myself based on a couple of articles so I may well have missed stuff)

Born in 1983, Streeting grew up in a council flat in Stepney, east London, before reading History at Selwyn College, Cambridge University
funded his way through university by doing shifts in the customer service department at Comet.
became President of Cambridge University Students’ Union, and then President of the National Union of Students from 2008 to 2010
under his presidency, the NUS - previously considered left wing - took a turn to the right, notably changing stance to accept the principle of paid-for higher education
Streeting then became Director of Education for the LGBT group Stonewall (he is himself openly gay)
became a councillor for the London Borough of Redbridge in 2010, becoming Vice President after the Labour victory there in the local elections of 2014
first elected to parliament as the Labour MP for Ilford North in 2015, being reelected in 2019 with a majority of 5,198
appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in 2021
fierce critic of the NHS strike of 2022, promising that Labour would oppose the unions
An effective media performer, Streeting is seen as a rising figure on the centre right of the Labour party. Seen as politically ambitious, Streeting is often touted as a future labour leader.
in 2024 he made it illegal for puberty blockers to be prescribed to minors

TriangleSpecialist@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 342d

Turns out you can be from an impoverished background, part of a minority with a strong history of persecution in your own country, and still come out of the Oxbridge pipeline as an anti-union, downward-punching bellend.

HermitBee@feddit.uk · 3 pts · 342d (4 replies)

Linehan and Streeting are both dickheads of the highest order, but jfc I don't want to live in a country where you can get arrested for such trivial shite.

And well done to whichever twat escalated this to the police - I'm sure this won't lead to yet more demonisation of the trans community 🙄

NoForwadSlashS@piefed.social · 7 pts · 342d (3 replies)

Idk if it's that trivial, as a public figure with a huge following, to tell people they should punch trans women. It's kind of the definition of inciting violence.

cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 341d

he also harassed and doxxed an underage trans person

HermitBee@feddit.uk · 3 pts · 342d (1 reply)

Yeah, "trivial" was too strong, but I do think that "punch them in the balls" is obviously impractical enough as not to count as a serious suggestion, particularly coming from a comedian.

I'd be surprised if CPS took it any further and shocked if he actually got a conviction. But either way this just plays into the narrative of "woke snowflakes who can't take criticism without crying to the police", IMO. Just look at how much of a cause célèbre Lucy Connolly has become for the right, for what was objectively a much worse tweet.

phutatorius@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 338d

but I do think that “punch them in the balls” is obviously impractical enough as not to count as a serious suggestion

Whenever someone tried to do that to me, I took it very seriously indeed, because it wasn't all that impractical. I'd go to great lengths to avoid a punch or kick to the plums.

I'd say a specific and actionable threat should be a prosecutable offence. I suppose it's questionable if Linehan's remark was specific, though it was certainly hate speech. Connolly's tweet advocating burning down a hostel containing asylum-seekers while a hostile crowd was outside, on the other hand, was both specific and actionable. There should be a custodial sentence for that.

whiwake@lemmy.cafe · 2 pts · 343d (2 replies)

Free speech isn’t a right in the UK

Skua@kbin.earth · 8 pts · 342d (1 reply)

To quote the Human Rights Act 1998:

Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. This Article shall not prevent States from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises.

The exercise of these freedoms, since it carries with it duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary.

Linehan's problem here, other than generally being a hateful tosser, is probably that he directly and specifically advocated for violence against a group based on a protected characteristic

whiwake@lemmy.cafe · 2 pts · 342d

I respect a person’s right to suggest we punch people in the twat, because I want the right to advocate for assassination of fascists.

Also, letting people open their mouths freely does a great job of exposing, as you said, hateful toasters.

JAPHacake@feddit.uk · 2 pts · 341d

It’s a crying shame that he’s seemingly now devoted his entire life to an anti trans viewpoint. Regardless of his beliefs, he was a very talented and creative comedy writer, should have stuck to what he knows. It seems like the guy has had some sort of breakdown which has altered his perception of the world.