Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer rebuked police over the arrest of Father Ted creator Graham Linehan – saying they should focus on crimes that “matter most” instead of threatening freedom of speech. He was asked in Parliament for his response to the arrest of Linehan, 57, who was detained by armed police at Heathrow Airport over three posts he had made on X about trans issues.
Conservative MP Jack Rankin called for a review of speech laws during PMQs. In response, Sir Keir said: “I have been clear throughout, 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. And we have a long history of free speech in this country. I am very proud of that and I will always defend it.”
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said today his officers are in “an impossible position” when dealing with statements made online, and should not be “policing toxic culture wars debates”.
He 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, Sir Mark 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.”
Writer Linehan was arrested at Heathrow on Monday after flying in from Arizona, on suspicion of inciting violence in posts on X.
He said he was stopped by five armed police officers, although it is understood this is because they were from the Met’s Aviation unit and routinely carry firearms.
One of the posts said: “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.”
Another was a photograph of a trans-rights protest, with the comment “a photo you can smell”, with a follow-up post saying: “I hate them. Misogynists and homophobes. F*** em.”
After anger at his arrest Health Secretary Wes Streeting suggested the Government could look at legislation if the law is “not getting the balance right” on free speech.
Opposition politicians and Harry Potter author JK Rowling are among those who have criticised the arrest.
Senior Tory Sir James Cleverly said the arrest looked like a “real overreaction” to what was “self-evidently a joke”.
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick described the incident as “a complete waste of police time”, adding: “We desperately need to end this nonsense and go after actual criminals.”
But 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.
