AUTHOR AND broadcaster Afua Hirsch has been labeled an “extremist” by the government and could be banned from civil service events.
The Daily Telegraph named Hirsch as one of the public figures that senior minister Jacob Rees-Mogg wants to ban from Whitehall.
Quoting a source close to the minister for government efficiency, the paper singled out Hirsch – author of the best-selling book Brit(ish) – as an example of a speaker who should be cancelled.
Rees-Mogg, who has previously boasted of his love for freedom of speech, is now leading a clampdown on free speech in government departments.
He has overseen new Cabinet Office rules, introduced last week, which instruct civil servants to trawl social media accounts for up to five years to “weed out ‘extremist’ guests.”
Whitehall must now carry out ‘due diligence’ to identify anyone with “potentially problematic or controversial material that may contravene civil service values.”
Hirsch told The Voice: ”This sounds sensible, until you realise we have a government that regards anti-racism as an extreme ideology.
“Instead, these politicians prefer a highly selective and racist account of history, which is itself extreme.
“Most of all I find it beyond ironic that these right wing so-called ‘defenders of free speech’ are actually so enthusiastic about banning it.”
Hirsch’s offence, according to the paper, is having “publicly accused Boris Johnson of making a “litany of racist statements” and saying: “His oafish stupidity is part of Boris Johnson’s electoral brand.”
The outgoing Prime Minister has a long charge-sheet of racist comments, including several articles printed in the Telegraph, calling for the return of slavery, calling black children “piccanninnies” and saying black people had “watermelon smiles.”
A new Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy is seen by Tories as an opportunity to “help eradicate “woke and politicised” practices in Whitehall.”
Prof Priyamvada Gopal is also highlighted as undesirable in Whitehall because she accused Home Secretary Priti Patel of holding anti-black attitudes.
TV historian David Olusoga is also believed to be in Rees-Mogg’s sights because his critique of how Britain benefited from slavery was seen to be critical of this country.
Speaking in the House of Commons in 2020, Rees-Mogg said: “Freedom of speech is fundamental to how our society operates. We all have to accept the right of people to express views not only that we do not like but that, on occasions, we even find offensive. If we accept only views that we like and find unchallenging, there is no freedom of speech.”
Rees-Mogg has been accused of bullying the civil service on a number of occasions in the last year. He has accused them of “standing in the way of Brexit”, and has taken to leaving notes on the desk of civil servants working from home to force them into the office.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “This guidance was introduced to ensure there is a proper process for inviting speakers to talk to civil servants in the Cabinet Office, as the public rightly expects.
“We take a zero tolerance approach to discriminatory behaviour and this process will help prevent anyone with a history of such comments from being invited.
“All guidance we issue is in line with the principle of impartiality, as set out in the Civil Service code.”
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13 Comments
Book burning, jack boots and black shirts to follow
Pathetic comment.
First they came for the critics …..
Everyone should all take a zero tolerance approach to the tories discriminatory behaviour and propaganda.
Can someone define impartiality? The actions of Ree-Mogg and his enablers are beyond impartiality; this straight out of the book “censured speech”. If you want everyone to have an opinion or say in what she/he thinks, then why will you choose what people say. They should speak on what you and your kind want to hear. Well, you have the power so do you.
Rest Mogg is racist and his barring of this woman for criticising the racism of Johnson, which is easy to demonstrate, shows that he is simply a racist gangster.
The Rt Hon Jacob Rees-Mogg MP, is the most exemplary example of an upright traditional Parliamentarian; who cares and promotes the highest virtues of Her Majesty’s Traditional Parliament, and England’s long tradition for Free Critical Speech; Debate and Discussion.
Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg displays the best of English middle-class decorum; even when Labour and Left-wing University students are shouting and calling for him to be “platformed” and denied his English Freedom of Speech and Expression.
Her Majesty Parliament has few members who seek to uphold the best traditions of Parliament. The Rt Hon Jacob Rees-Mogg MP is one of the very few.
It is for these reasons Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg, who has publicly revealed his love for Parliament’s and England’s Freedom of Speech is now supporting restricting Ms Afua Hirsch’s Freedom of speech, because Ms Hirsch has used her English Freedom of Speech to be critical of the Prime Minister; Ministers, the Civil Servants and England’s Empire History.
Jacob Rees-Mogg must not allow himself to behave with the same delinquent, anti-English and anti- Free Speech and infantile manner displayed by Labour and the Marxist Liberal Left Parliamentarians.
It’s like a modern Uk version of MacArthur-ism, I hope that those identified as being banned are then instructed to wear a star on their Jacket.
Lord help us
What a disgusting hypocrite this 18th century pounce is. He is the vilest of creatures. His words contradict each other. Is this part of his, yes his, Brexit debacle. We are being controlled by an authoritarian government that will get worse.
I find it ironic that a government and Prime Minister who as recently as yesterday, condemn the critics of Salman Rushdie for denying free speech, can be so dismissive of people in this country for exercising that same freedom.
This government is as hypocritical as it is dishonest, incompetent and dangerous.
She spits venom…not facts.
Oh and even Twitter has banned Gopal
So the government wants to stop anybody telling the truth about conservative attitudes and their cultivated ability to lie about anything.