The Wardman Wire

Free Speech Campaign

Three days ago I posted about instructions given to Gawain Towler, Press Officer for UKIP (the UK Independence Party) in the European Parliament.

Gawain Towler, The Press Officer for the Independent Europe Group (essentially UKIP and sister parties) in the European Parliament, whose job is to represent this group in criticising the EU has been forced to take his personal blog down for … er … criticising the EU. He’s employed by the European Parliament, and that means that he is subject to the employment regulations.

He runs .. sorry used to run … the England Expects website. You can read the detail on the site.

The precise circumstances are that his blog has been closed down under threat of disciplinary action from within the organisation after a complaint was made about a single post – which he had already edited to remove the particular issue that had been raised with him.

The complaint escalated through the organisation, and the sky subsequently fell in.

There has been some support from Jon Worth and Nosemonkey, as well as many others of a more EU-sceptic bent.

Since then, things have changed.

Both Gawain Towler and Jon Worth appeared on the Radio 4 programme Pods and Blogs talking with Chris Vallance about the events. The clip is below.

I’m getting tired of this.

Another one, and this one is even more ironic that the Welsh Assembly case.

Gawain Towler, The Press Officer for the Independent Europe Group (essentially UKIP and sister parties) in the European Parliament, whose job is to represent this group in criticising the EU has been forced to take his blog down for … er … criticising the EU. He’s employed by the European Parliament, and that means that he is subject to regulations.

He runs .. sorry used to run … the England Expects website. You can read the detail on the site.

It has been closed down under threat of disciplinary action from within the organisation after a complaint was made about a single post – which he had already edited to remove the particular issue that had been raised with him.

The complaint escalated through the organisation, and the sky subsequently fell in.

There has been some support from Jon Worth and Nosemonkey, as well as many others of a more EU-sceptic bent.

I have mixed feelings over this. On the one hand, I’m delighted to receive confirmation that Mark Brewer has found our petition. On the other, I’m appalled by his response. Read on and I think you’ll understand the problem. He’s taken to writing to people signing it; to at least one person anyway:

Subject: RE: In memoriam

Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:25:37 -0500

From: Brewer@bplaw.com

To: jacqui smith

Dear Ms. Smith,

I’m trying really hard to understand you. You signed a petition blog to stop a Christian bookshop in Durham cathedral. Can this be right?

From the subject line, you could be forgiven for thinking that Mark is preparing an epitaph ready for the shop’s inevitable demise.

This weekend (Saturday 20th September, to be precise) marked exactly one month since the launch of our online petition to rescue Durham Cathedral Bookshop from its mismanagement under the Brewers. The 200 signatures mark was passed back on September 3rd and whilst the rate at which people are signing has slowed down since then, feelings are still running high, as shown by recent comments on the petition discussion page.

As well as an increasing number of former staff, clergy, students, members of local churches and other disillusioned customers, those signing the petition include:

• Alan Mann, author of A Permanent Becoming: A Contemporary Look at the Fruit of the Spirit
• Professor Walter Moberly from the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University
• Dr Nigel Oakley, World Development Officer for the Diocese of Durham and author of Engaging Politics? The Tensions of Christian Political Involvement (Paternoster, 2007).
• Dr Robin Parry, Editorial Director of Paternoster Publishing
• Revd Charles Read, Vice Principal and Director of Studies, Norwich Diocesan Ministry Course
• Sister Anne Williams, CA, a member of General Synod