James Cleverly slams police ‘overreaction’ over arrest of Graham Linehan

JAMES Cleverly has criticised police for arresting the writer Graham Linehan in what he said was an “overreaction” to a joke.

Speaking to GB News, the Shadow Housing Secretary said: “From what I have seen, this looks to be an overreaction to what is a joke, a joke that Graham himself said was not necessarily a funny joke.

“But I think it’s important that we don’t overreact, that we don’t start policing criticism. Freedom of speech is important, is something we value. In the UK, we do have it, and we do protect it.

“I’ve been to parts of the world as Foreign Secretary where freedom of speech really is not a reality. That’s not where we are. But this does appear, from what I can see, to be an overreaction to a rather crass joke.”

Asked if he agreed with Nigel Farage about the state of free speech in the UK, he said: “Nigel Farage is trying to advance his own political agenda.

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“As I say, I’ve been to parts of the world where freedom of speech really is curtailed. We’ve got to be careful that we don’t add to what I think is fundamentally a political attack from Nigel Farage towards his own country.

“We do have freedom of speech, we value it, but it does need protecting, and we do see, sadly, some overzealous people, at times, curtailing that. But for the most part, this is a fantastic country. It is a country that has real freedoms, including freedom of speech.

“We do need to protect that, and I don’t think the Labour Party are doing a good enough job. But as I say, Farage has got a political agenda. I think we need to be realistic about that.”

On the possible introduction of national digital ID cards, Cleverly said: “I don’t think that law abiding people should be made to curtail their freedoms just because others are not playing by the rules, and we certainly don’t.

“We don’t create domestic policy at the behest of foreign heads of state or foreign governments. The point is that we have always been a free and freedom loving country.

“I’m a freedom loving Conservative. I think that almost everyone in my party, on I suppose my side of the political spectrum, would feel very uncomfortable with people, law-abiding people, being forced to do something just because others are not playing by the rules.

“The Labour Party does need to crack down on immigration. They have spectacularly failed to do that. They thought it was going to be easy. Their complacency is now evident for all to see.

“We have got a credible plan. Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary has got a credible plan, unlike Labour, unlike other political parties, to get a grip of this, but I don’t think curtailing the freedoms of law-abiding people is the right way.”