KEIR Starmer has responded to the arrest of anti-trans blogger and former TV writer Graham Linehan, saying the police "must focus on the most serious issues".
Linehan, 57, was arrested at Heathrow Airport on Tuesday on suspicion of "inciting violence" in a series of posts on Twitter/X.
The Father Ted creator alleged that among the three posts in question, one read: “If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act. Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls.”
The campaigner has won support from the likes of JK Rowling after his arrest, with gender-critical activists calling the move an attack on free speech.
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Conservative MP Jack Rankin asked: “Like many, I was deeply concerned that a police force deemed it necessary to take five armed officers to arrest a comedy writer from a flight.
“Some may have found Mr Linehan’s comments offensive, but that’s not the point. If you don’t support speech you don’t like, you don’t support free speech. Will the Prime Minister commit to reviewing our speech laws, to ensure that legitimate free expression is protected, and condemn the culture in the public sector which prioritises this dangerous and perverse nonsense?”
Starmer responded: “He will have seen that the commissioner has put out a statement in relation to the particular case this morning.
"I’ve been clear throughout that we must ensure the police focus on the most serious issues, and the issues that matter most to our constituencies and all communities, and that includes tackling issues like anti-social behaviour, knife crime and violence.
“We have a long history of free speech in this country. I’m very proud of that and I will always defend it.”
Meanwhile on Tuesday, the head of the police force that arrested Linehan said his officers are in “an impossible position” when dealing with statements made online, and should not be “policing toxic culture wars debates”.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said he would make suggestions to the Government about how laws governing social media posts could be changed, and is ready to test new approaches “within a matter of weeks”.
In his first statement after the controversy erupted, Rowley said: “While the decision to investigate and ultimately arrest the man was made within existing legislation, which dictates that a threat to punch someone from a protected group could be an offence, 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.
“Most reasonable people would agree that genuine threats of physical violence against an identified person or group should be acted upon by officers.
“Such actions can and do have serious and violent real-world implications.
“But 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.
“I don’t believe we should be policing toxic culture wars debates and officers are currently in an impossible position.”
However, new Green Party leader Zack Polanski told BBC Newsnight the posts were “totally unacceptable” and the arrest seemed “proportionate”.
Separately, Linehan will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday accused of harassing transgender woman Sophia Brooks and damaging her phone, which he denies.
