Do not forget in your list of enemies, democrats.

If the nature of the Theos is open to dispute, what about the nature of the Demos?

Genuine and heartfelt admiration. I don’t much care for your politics, but believe that you have an absolute right to say what you wish on whatever issue. That is the point that you make so well. I may not like what you say but, regardless of content, you must have the right to say it. I am surely misquoting, but Voltaire said something along the lines of fighting to the death to defend views which offend me (sorry for the laziness in not looking for the correct quote). However, this is the real point; freedom of speech is not contingent upon any view being acceptable/unacceptable. You either believe in it, or you do not.

There is far too much selectivity in the support of free speech and your presentation punctures that bubble. Well done!

great speech Nick keep up the good work especially skewering post modernists like Stanley Fish, so fashionable in university social science departments. I work for a university(teaching social workers) and couldn’t possibly disclose the fact that I’m ‘right of centre’ otherwise I’d lose my job. I have also worked for many local authority social services departments, and you are spot on about managers who can’t face criticism, and who bully and demonise staff who ‘whistle blow’. Rochdale is a case in point.