The head of the Metropolitan Police has blamed politicians for putting his officers in an ‘impossible position’ over online speech.
He was speaking after the arrest of Father Ted creator Graham Linehan for social media comments.
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley defended the five armed officers who arrested Mr Linehan at Heathrow on Monday on suspicion of inciting violence over three messages he posted on X in April.
The tweets included one in which he joked that women should punch transgender women ‘in the balls’ if they use female-only spaces.
Sir Mark said ‘a threat to punch someone from a protected group could be an offence’ but admitted: ‘I understand the concern caused by such incidents given differing perspectives on the balance between free speech and the risks of inciting violence in the real world.’
He added: ‘When it comes to lesser cases, where there is ambiguity in terms of intent and harm, policing has been left between a rock and a hard place by successive governments who have given officers no choice but to record such incidents as crimes when they’re reported. Then they are obliged to follow all lines of inquiry and take action as appropriate.’
Meanwhile, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch vows that police will be banned from arresting people for stating that transgender women do not belong in female-only spaces if the Conservatives return to Downing Street.
Sir Mark said: ‘I don’t believe we should be policing toxic culture wars debates and officers are currently in an impossible position. I have offered to provide suggestions to the Home Office on where the law and policy should be clarified.’
Sir Mark Rowley, the head of the Metropolitan Police has blamed politicians for putting his officers in an ‘impossible position’ over online speech
Pictured: Father Ted creator Graham Linehan, who was arrested at Heathrow on Monday on suspicion of inciting violence over three messages he posted on X in April Met
Sir Mark Rowley’s comments sparked fresh outrage, with Tory justice spokesman Robert Jenrick telling the Mail: ‘Yet again the police seem not to understand the basics of free speech. Mark Rowley needs to promptly apologise for this mistake.’
And free speech campaigner Harry Miller said: ‘No one is obliging him to police offensive tweets that don’t meet the threshold of criminality.’
In the Commons today Sir Keir Starmer was urged to review the law to ensure free speech is protected and replied: ‘I’ve been clear throughout that we must ensure the police focus on the most serious issues… we have a long history of free speech in this country.’
Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC: ‘We want the police to focus on policing streets rather than tweets.’
But newly elected Green leader Zack Polanski said: ‘These are totally unacceptable tweets…I think it was proportionate to arrest him.’
Reacting to the arrest of Mr Linehan, Mrs Badenoch said no one should ever be detained for speaking ‘plain truths’ or making jokes.
She promised that if she became prime minister she would also scrap Non-Crime Hate Incidents, which have been used by forces nationwide to record abuse on social media and even playground spats.
And she says that chief constables would be forced to justify their actions if they wasted time on ‘political stunts’ instead of fighting crime.
In the Commons today Sir Keir Starmer was urged to review the law to ensure free speech is protected
Mr Linehan, who released an audio recording of his arrest in which he can be heard reacting with disbelief, said he was considering suing the Met for wrongful arrest.
‘This was a horrible glimpse of the dystopian clown show that Britain has become,’ he added.
Meanwhile, Mrs Badenoch admitted that the Tory government she was part of ‘deferred too much’ to police chiefs, allowing them to ‘engage in destructive identity politics’.
Amid a backlash over the Met’s treatment of Mr Linehan, Mrs Badenoch said: ‘Graham’s arrest should serve as a warning to everyone who values freedom in Britain.’
She went on: ‘Freedom is not a gift from the state. It is our birthright.’
