Gina Miller And Free Speech

When disgraced former Sun editor Kelvin McFilth conducted his campaign of incitement against Channel 4 News presenter Fatima Manji, on the grounds that she wore a headscarf when speaking to camera, the defence of his disgraceful behaviour, and that of faithful Murdoch retainer Trevor Kavanagh, was based on the claim that all they were doing was to exercise their right to free speech.

Gina Miller

So I’m sure that, before too long, these two press veterans will be telling the world how important it is for everyone else to speak freely, and that the reason they have failed to make this point thus far when others are becoming abused to the point of constraining not only their free speech, but also their freedom to leave their own homes, is purely related to their punishing schedules. Or maybe they couldn’t care less.

One person about whom the Sun’s less than totally dynamic duo don’t appear to care is businesswoman Gina Miller, the lead claimant in the action which resulted in a High Court judgment confirming that Theresa May cannot trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty by use of the Royal Prerogative. Our Prime Minister, who is not unelected, honestly, must put the matter to Parliament first, as its Sovereignty is supreme.

For her participation in the action, and being more than a match for Nigel “Thirsty” Farage on The Andy Marr Show (tm), Ms Miller was subjected to the full range of social media abuse, including rape and death threats. The Mail, which had previously demonised her, as well as the judges hearing the case, about turned and became particularly righteous.

“Death threats against Gina Miller after her Brexit victory in the High Court last week are 'criminal,' the Government has said … The businesswoman has been targeted on social media by disgusting online trolls, with some calling for her to be shot and raped, while others wished cancer on her … Brexit Secretary David Davis condemned the 'deplorable' attacks during a Commons statement today” told the Dacre hypocrites.

And now it has got worse: as Decca Aitkenhead tells in her Saturday interview in the Guardian, “She didn’t take the death threats seriously at first. ‘It sounds awful, but they’re kind of normal nowadays, aren’t they?’ Following her appearance opposite Nigel Farage show on last Sunday’s The Andrew Marr show, however, they began targeting her family and children, and Miller went to the police”. Who are “taking it very, very seriously”.

How seriously? “She asks me not to disclose the full range of extraordinary security measures CID have imposed, several of which I had never heard of before, and she has been told to avoid all public places, even the tube”. Ms Miller was “disgusted” at Liz Truss, who failed to step in and defend the judiciary. But she wasn’t for giving up, and certainly not even considering leaving the country. Even though she can’t venture outside.

Which is as well, considering none of the Dacre doggies at the Mail, or the Murdoch goons at the Sun, are prepared to defend her free speech, having done most of the incitement that has constrained it so severely. And they aren’t busy elsewhere.

They just don’t give a stuff about their victims. And that’s not good enough.