A retired politician is promoting a publication to those who may wish to purchase it.
This is not some extremist politician, but a former mainstream, democratic politician.
And this is not just any former mainstream, democratic politician, but the only UK party leader to have won a decisive general election with a sustainable majority since 1987.
But that politician cannot do any events. The events are being cancelled. Is this a cause for concern?
Padraig Reidy thinks so. Reidy is the news editor for Index on Censorship and is establishing himself as one of the most thoughtful and intellectually consistent commentators on questions of free expression.
He argues that the scenario raises censorship concerns, even though the politician in question is Tony Blair.
This surely must be correct, if the situation is approached from a principle-based approach. The defence of free expression is often most important when the beneficiary is unpopular.
So, if this is a case where free expression is being threatened, should all people of goodwill now shout out: “For Tony Blair and Free Speech”?
David Allen Green is a lawyer and writer. His Jack of Kent blog was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize in 2010. He will now be blogging regularly for the New Statesman on legal and policy matters.
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