It would be very interesting if 100% of voters turned up at the polling station to vote as polling stations never have enough ballot papers for all who are entitled to vote!

Candidates for Lewisham West and Penge constituency thiis week showed their contempt for free speech and local voters by closing down two election hustings events: http://libertygb.org.uk/v1/index.php/new...der-threat

Sometimes I just wish I lived in a place where we could all get along and play nicely. For God's sake, could we just be reasonable? Could we host it somewhere else? Could the other candidates really not tolerate a representative from Liberty? Does any of it really matter when the outcome is so foregone anyway?This is just so pathetic.

Go to the website to see some of the reasons why it might not be good to give them a platform. They are free to put their views out by social media.

Yes, it's very disappointing that certain huffy individuals representing other parties have been allowed to dictate terms, leading to cancellation of the event and denying local voters an opportunity to question their candidates. Here's my considered response to the cancellation email: http://libertygb.org.uk/v1/index.php/new...der-threat

Best regards

Dr George Whale
Liberty GB candidate for Lewisham West and Penge
http://www.libertygb.org.uk

Could we know, out of curiosity, which party or parties made the participation of the far-right a condition for their own involvement in the hustings?

Both the Green Party and Conservative candidates expressed a desire to exclude Liberty GB from the Sydenham/ Forest Hill hustings. As for Labour and the others, I don't know.

Since two hustings in the constituency have now been cancelled, I would like to invite candidates of the other parties to debate the key issues with me on this forum.

Sincerely

Dr George Whale
Liberty GB candidate for Lewisham West and Penge
http://www.libertygb.org.uk

Wow Sandy, that is kind of you!

I was under the impression this is still a free country. Whilst I may not agree with what a lot of parties say or do I still enjoy the fact that they are able to do it.

If you feel that certain sectors of society should have no voice then you go against all that a free society stands for.

This post was last modified: 24-04-2015 09:24 AM by Londondrz.

That is the faulty logic that allows a fascist party with ties to the EDL like LibertyGB to call themselves precisely that and put "freedom of speech" at the top of their priorities without blushing. They can say whatever they want, no one is saying that they should be prosecuted because they are against religious freedom and because they stir up hate against larges swathes of population in the borough: most people simply do not want to listen to their c**p, less so in a debate about real issues.

It is typical of loonies like that to cry "freedom of sspeeeeecch!!" when others a) don't give them a platform, b) don't agree with them or c) don't give a fig about their hateful views. I am still unconvinced about the need of cancelling the hustings, but I am not shedding tears about their "freedom of speech", simply because that would be allowing them, the EDL and others to carry on hijacking the term.

This post was last modified: 24-04-2015 09:39 AM by fredzeppelin.

Greens, Tories and socialists have conspired to shut down a third election hustings event in the Lewisham West and Penge constituency.

Penge Forum have just announced the cancellation of their hustings event planned for 29 April.

It's the third hustings cancelled in the Lewisham West and Penge constituency, all because certain candidates from the other parties refuse to engage with Liberty GB, a legally constituted political party.

This latest cancellation is a further disgusting and cowardly snub to local voters - once again denied an opportunity to meet and question their election candidates - and to free speech and democracy.

Dr George Whale
Liberty GB candidate for Lewisham West and Penge

http://www.media-and-learning.eu/2012/no...tbox2.html

George, forgive me but your role as a renowned academic at a European Centre of Excellence and University of London,and reputation on the international stage seems a little at odds with the message of immigrants go home that you seem to preach? Do you not see the irony? And not a little worried about the reputational damage you might bring to your college and Emc2?

Londondrz, there should be no platform for the far right fascists who use electoral hustings to preach and stir up racial hatred and a head of steam against non white non native persons.

@roz

Our desire to halt immigration doesn't in any way conflict with the need for Britain to engage with other countries and nationalities in research, culture and business. Students, researchers, business people, technology experts and so on will be able to come and work in Britain on fixed-term contracts, returning home afterwards. There is absolutely no need to give them British passports.

@Roz, why not, and who gets to decide we dont like them or their views? Judge not lest etc etc

BTW, I am one of those immigrants mentioned but I damned well won't exclude someone because they dont fit with someone's views. If they are indeed stirring up racial hatred then report them and let the proper authorities deal with them.

Not giving them a platform is denying them a chance to put across their views so that people can judge the validity of their claims themselves.

Life is full of choices, take these away and what do you have?

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/1/schedule

I am generally in favour of free speech and allowing the listeners to make their own choices.
If a crime is committed the appropriate authority can deal with it.
All that has happened here is that no-one has had the opportunity to present his or her policies.

Having heard the policies of certain extremist parties I suspect that they would get very little support from the public.

Well, exactly. I'm betting that up until now, every public appearance made by such people is to a room full of people who already support them. Put them in a room of general electors and let them espouse their views, and let's see what happens then.

If in that case something they say crosses the line into illegal hate-speech, by all means the authorities should be notified. But we can't stop them appearing because we think they might do that. A bit Orwellian, that.

I would tend to agree with rshdunlop, people should be allowed to express their views in a wider context, as that allows those views to be argued against, and people can then make up their own minds. More importantly it can show up how little thought has actually gone into some arguments, how impractical they might be to implement, and how 'loosely' based on facts can be.

Fredzeppelin has nailed it when he mentions that 'freedom of speech' is a term which has been somewhat hijacked and misunderstood by Whale and his like.

Liberty GB would like it to mean that they can say anything, to anyone, and that those words or expressions are permitted in law - but, it does't quite work like that. There are limitations to 'Freedom of Speech' in the UK, which is largely based on the famous Article 10 from the Human Rights Act.

Amongst other things, it states that the exercise of this freedom “since it carries with it duties and responsibilities” may be limited in... the interests of public safety or the prevention of disorder or crime. When your party leader has a record of:

1. Being arrested and bailed by the Met on suspicion of religious or racial harassment;
2. Was responsible for an alliance between his former party (the BFP) and the English Defence League; and
3. Called for a war between the white working class and immigrants

...one might suggest that those limitations of freedom of speech be called into effect.

This post was last modified: 27-04-2015 12:56 PM by Scatterfold.

Well put, Scatterfold.

I'd just add that freedom of speech does not necessarily entail an obligation to listen - especially when one has heard quite enough.