Brown Heckler Manhandled from Hall: Is This What They Have Done to Free Speech?

I seem to remember hearing about days when politicians addressed public meetings in town halls and market squares and members of the audience heckled them. Going to a political meeting, especially at election time wasn’t like going to a concert of the Scottish National Orchestra where you sat still and clapped at the end. It was an interactive deal... the politicians and the public alike expected it.

I guess it was the 'ordinary' man’s opportunity to show his approval or disgust in front of his MP, whom he probably had little other opportunity to speak to during the parliament.

So it worried me a little, or maybe even a lot, when I read today that a heckler at Mr Brown’s campaign was dragged from the audience and taken away by the police.

The incident occurred when Brown was making a speech in Sunderland. A member of the audience which largely comprised Labour Party members, shouted out (not unreasonably) “What about that bigoted woman?”

OK, you may say that the prime minister apologized for that. We’ve all done that kind of thing. It is now over and done with. But it’s not really.

He has been telling us he was going up and down the country listening to people, and we caught him out. He’s not listening at all, unless it’s what he wants to hear. Anyone who has tried to get their concerns over to him is worse than ignored; they are denigrated by him behind their backs. So please note constituents of Gordon Brown. When you go along to the surgery and tell him your problems, he calls you names the minute you go out the door.

But I digress. The heckler said: “It’s been such a controlled campaign. Mr Brown needs to see real electors, not just hand-picked people.”

He’s right. Everything in Brown’s programme has been stage managed; photo opportunities, meetings with hand-picked members, and the first time he meets an ordinary person... and not a Tory or a nationalist, not a Liberal or a Ukipper, but a lifelong Labour supporter, they whole thing goes pear shaped.

So, we are not going to just forget it happened.

The guy had every right to heckle Brown about it. The fact that it is not a huge issue in Scotland doesn’t take away from the fact that in some English towns immigration is a problem. He needs to address that fact.

The worrying thing is that the man who said this.... not in a rude or threatening way was dragged from the room by Labour activists.... Why? Were they worried Brown would lose it completely and bury Labour for 2 generations?

Not too long ago an elderly Labour supporter was dragged from the room at the Labour Party conference when Jack Straw was making a speech because he called Jack the Lad a liar. Lord knows it’s one of the mildest things you could say about Straw. He should have been thanking the old man.

What kind of place has the UK become when you are dragged from the room for criticizing a cabinet minister? Not one I feel safe in. The sooner we are no part of it the better I’ll like it.