A friend of mine got very agitated just before the coronation because the song “I’m gonna be (500 miles)” by the Proclaimers was removed from the coronation day playlist. (According to one source, by the way, the “playlist of 27 songs has been hand-selected on behalf of His Majesty by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and includes plenty of classic acts like Queen, The Beatles and Sir Tom Jones among the newer ones”. I wonder if His Majesty got to have a look over it and maybe had a final say.) Anyway, it seems that the Proclaimers’ song was removed, not because of any offence that might be perceived in the lyrics but because the Proclaimers, twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid, are known republicans. They support Scottish Independence and Welsh Independence. Was someone afraid that the words of the song would suddenly change into an anti-monarchy rant?
Well, my friend got in such a state that he wrote to his MP about it. Yesterday he told us he had had a reply: a load of flannel in his opinion! But at least his letter was acknowledged.
Writing letters used to be the way to express your opinion and get it out to a rather wider audience than your immediate circle of friends and family. Nowadays most of that goes out on Twitter. In fact I’m rather surprised my friend didn’t use Twitter. Its probably because he doesn’t have a Twitter account. I seem to remember seeing his protests on Facebook.
But broadcasting your opinion on social media is becoming a hazardous occupation in these times of cancel culture. J.K. Rowling found herself no-platformed because of her published views on transgender women. She’s not the only one.
Last night on BBC’s Newsnight they broadcast and interview with a certain Dan Kaszeta, a global expert on nerve agents. He had been invited to speak at a government-backed conference: the 25th annual Chemical Weapons Demilitarisation Conference. He needed persuading to accept the invitation but in the end he agreed to attend. Then last month he received an email that told him:-
"Rules introduced by the Cabinet Office in 2022 specify that the social media accounts of potential speakers must be vetted before final acceptance to the programme. The vetting is impartial and purely evidence-based.
The check on your social media has identified material that criticises government officials and policy. It is for this reason and not because we do not value your technical insight, that I'm afraid that we have no choice and must cancel your invitation to the CWD conference."
Oops!
Apparently on social media he had poked fun at Liz Truss, expressed anti-Brexit views and criticised asylum policy. Perhaps there was an outside chance that he would leap up at the conference on chemical weapons demilitarisation and start ranting about Brexit or immigration!! Really!!??
We need experts. Experts tend to be well-informed. They also tend to be opinionated. And they express those opinions in whatever form suits them. That’s what free speech is all about.
One thing that bothered Mr Kaszeta was the fact that rules referred to are not easily available to the public and, what is more, seem just to have been decided by the Cabinet Office rather than debated in parliament.
Coincidentally, here’s an article about a comedian, Roger Ng, known professionally as Uncle Roger, who has had his social media accounts suspended in China because he made fun of the regime. Hmm! But that’s China! Things like that couldn’t happen here!
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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