03/06/2025 08:39
The Guardian
John Healey insists ‘we don’t have blasphemy laws’ after Tory leader says ‘de facto’ laws are setting the UK on ‘the road to ruin’Good morning. Public spending is still the dominant issue at Westminster, with the spending review taking place a week tomorrow, and debate still raging about how the government will fund its defence and welfare plans (although the debate is now not so much whether there will be tax rises, rather how big they will be). But the Conservatives are now trying to revive a culture war issue, accusing Labour of in effect using blasphemy legislation to protect Islam.Kemi Badenoch has been responding to the case of Hamit Coskun, who was found guilty and fined £240 yesterday for a religiously aggravated public order offence after he set fire to a Qur’an outside the Turkish consulate in London. Sammy Gescoyler has the story here.De facto blasphemy laws will set this country on the road to ruin. This case should go to appeal.Freedom of belief, and freedom not to believe, are inalienable rights in Britain. I’ll defend those rights to my dying day.This decision is wrong. It revives a blasphemy law that parliament repealed.Free speech is under threat. I have no confidence in Two-Tier Keir to defend the rights of the public to criticise all religions.We don’t have blasphemy laws. We don’t have any plans to reintroduce blasphemy laws. Continue reading...
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