Free Speech under attack in......Scotland?

Photo: CC: "TommySheridan2007" by D. Natanson - Self-photographed.

A disturbing report has appeared in the Scottish Daily Mail about the Tories having to abandon having a meeting due to threats of possibly violent unrest from the hard left:

In an unprecedented victory for extremism, fears for the safety of Conservative members triggered the 'depressing' decision to abandon the Conservative event.

Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson, Scottish Secretary David Mundell, former leader Annabel Goldie and MEP Ian Duncan were among those due to address the annual West of Scotland conference in Largs, Ayrshire, next month.

Whilst I am no friend of the Tories the idea that a small meeting of any party has to be cancelled due to the presence of the far-left hate mobs is disturbing. Only 75 people were due to turn up to this local event.

This comes at a time when there is growing censorship in British universities which have banned speakers over perceived threats to the comrades inability to face ideas other than their own.

This time the culprit is Solidarity the organisation headed by that paragon of virtue Tommy Sheridan. Him of the visit to the "swingers club" that left him in gaol for perjury. Now I've never understood why he even had to lie about that. Most people wouldn't have cared and the joke would have worn off eventually. It's a free country for consenting adults after all.

Trouble is the hard left and "safe spaces" mob are far from being adults. They have blinkered views and in the case of the Marxist left quite an inherently aggressive attitude towards those with whom they disagree.

Protest is one thing. What happened outside the Tory conference in Manchester (which a repeat of was feared in Largs) is another. 

Censorship exists in many forms. Violent protest is unacceptable in a parliamentary democracy and will only backfire on the abusers. 

Some of the victims of the comrades ire are the very people they claim to represent. If the right to protest is abused it will only become more difficult to take up a banner. After the pensions march several union members said they would not march again after witnessing the anarchist wreckers use the protest as cover for their vandalism

The "comrades" always try to blame the police for trouble but that doesn't wash when groups of people turn up determined to cause trouble. The anarchists always seem to have masks and are tooled up for confrontation.

Democracy is under threat from all corners of the extremist political and religious milieu. The right of free speech is too important to lose.

Everyone, even local Tories have the right to meet.

Not a good sign for the future.