Darren grimes's treatment has been appalling | thearticle

If ever a case highlights the perilous state of free speech in modern Britain, you need look no further than the furore unleashed upon Darren Grimes. The 27 year old conservative and

political commentator is being investigated by the police for the crime of doing his job: asking questions. The issue dates back to June, when Grimes interviewed the historian David Starkey

on his youtube channel, “Reasoned”. While discussing the Black Lives Matter protests, Starkey challenged the notion that slavery was an act of genocide. If it had been, Starkey said, there

would not be “so many damn blacks” in Africa and Britain now. Starkey’s comment was ugly and out of order. The backlash was swift: Starkey lost book deals, numerous academic positions. He

was effectively canceled. On Monday morning, Grimes appeared on Good Morning Britain to defend himself and to discuss the issue of free speech. His opponent for the debate was Kehinde

Andrews, a professor of black studies at Birmingham University. In outlining his position, Grimes told the presenters Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid that he was part of a police investigation

arising from Starkey’s comments and that he would be threatened with arrest under the Public Order Act if he did not comply with it. Grimes pointed out that this Act was “intended to

preserve order, not to regulate speech.” Andrews fired back with the claim that Starkey should not even be allowed on television. He then went on to claim that this was not a free speech

issue but rather one of publishing “hate speech.” This is the argument that some words and comments are so reprehensible they should not be uttered by anyone. In that case, what are we to

make of comments by people like Andrews himself, who compares the British Empire to Nazi Germany and has written a paper on what he terms “the psychosis of whiteness”? By his own logic, if

he used those ridiculous and outlandish comments in an interview, no journalist would be legally allowed to publish the interview. You don’t have to agree with Grimes’s political ideology to

see the chilling effect this has on journalism and free speech. I personally find what Andrews says awful, divisive and ignorant. But one thing I would never do is call the police due to

his comments, however stupid they were. Over the years there has been a sustained attack on both the freedom of the press and free speech. According to figures from the _Times_, in 2016,

nine people a day were arrested for posting apparently offensive material online. That equates to 3,300 people a year, a rise of almost fifty per cent in two years. Many of these crimes fall

under the Communications Act 2003. Under section 127, anything the court classifies as “grossly offensive” is effectively criminalised. One famous case was the conviction of youtuber “Count

Dankula” over his “Nazi pug” joke. Being offensive and challenging conventional beliefs is an essential part of a free press. When John Wilkes published the _North Briton_ in 1762, it was

in response to the pro-government paper the _Briton_. Wilkes’s newspaper satirised the conventional morality and wisdom of George III, and for his crimes he was charged with seditious libel

and arrested. His advocacy for free expression helped pave the way for freedom of the press. What is most surprising however, is the level of vitriol aimed squarely at Grimes. The so-called

“crime” itself was uttered by Starkey. But no matter who the perpetrator, no legal action should be taken over what is simply a collection of words. No legal authority should criminalise an

individual for holding any thoughts or beliefs. As such, the police should play no part in this. This is a huge challenge to freedom of the press. It must be the right of journalists and

commentators to speak freely, no matter how unpalatable their views. They must be free to discuss and ask questions about anything they choose. If not, in the long run, we will all suffer.