“It isn't the thought police if she expressed those thoughts in writing and published that writing on social media."
There’s been some corker frontpages in the right-wing press lately, but last week’s Mail on Sunday (MoS) takes some beating.
The headline “Come out, it’s the thought police,” was accompanied by an image of two decidedly unintimidating-looking detectives ‘caught on doorbell cam.’
The piece continues: “As thousands of REAL criminals go uninvestigated, two detectives call on a grandmother. Her ‘crime’? She went on Facebook to criticise Labour councillors at centre of the ‘Hope you die,’ WhatsApp scandal exposed by the MoS.
“Detectives were last night accused of acting like East Germany’s feared Stasi secret police for quizzing Helen Jones over her calls for the resignation of local councillors embroiled in the WhatsApp scandal exposed by the Mail on Sunday.”
As expected, the rest of the right-wing media fell into line.
GB News ran the uber-sensationalist headline:
“Detectives accused of acting like Orwellian ‘Thought Police’ as they doorstep gran for slamming Labour councillors on Facebook.”
The uproar is focused on a comment the Stockport resident made about the offensive messages shared in a Labour WhatsApp group. The revelation that the MP Andrew Gwynne had written offensive messages about residents led to his sacking as a health minister, the suspension of the Burnley MP Oliver Ryan and 11 Labour councillors.
In its report on the Stockport grandmother’s ‘scandal,’ the Times explained:
“Jones said: “I asked the police officer, ‘Have I committed any sort of crime? Why did you call at my door? They said, ‘Someone has spoken to us about your social media posts.’ I then said, ‘If I don’t take your advice and continue doing what I am doing, will I be committing a crime?’ He said no. I then asked. ‘What will you do about it?’ He said, ‘There’s not a lot we can do, we are just giving you advice’.”
Pretty good advice I’d say.
But of course, right-wing figures seized on the opportunity to sensationalise. Our old friend Toby Young, director of the Free Speech Union, was quoted saying: “Good luck persuading Greater Manchester police to send two police officers to your house if you’re burgled or your car is stolen.”
Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader, also weighed in, calling the police’s actions “pathetic” and deriding them as the “thoughtless thought police.”
Jacob Rees-Mogg also added his two cents, claiming: “Opinion is legal and confidence in the police is damaged by this type of interference in free speech.”
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “’This is a total waste of police time.
“People’s free speech is being infringed.”
Dear oh dear. To translate – Jones has not been charged with a crime. She has been accused of harassment by a member of the public (likely someone she criticised on social media), and the police are obliged to inform her they’re looking into it, just like they would for any legitimate harassment claim. It might not go anywhere, but they have to investigate it.
But no, it’s far more effective to pretend it’s the thought police infringing on her free speech.
And as a frontpage lead story too.
Fortunately, not everyone swallowed the story.
“It isn’t the thought police if she expressed those thoughts in writing and published that writing on social media,” wrote one baffled reader.
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