Free speech stops riots 

With depressing predictability, the riots have led to calls for more censorship. Historically, it was the authoritarian right who blamed outbreaks of civil disorder on too much free speech, but this knee-jerk, illiberal reaction is now more likely to be found on the left. I’m not just thinking of Paul Mason, who called for Ofcom to revoke GB News’s broadcast licence, or even Carole Cadwalladr, who tweeted: ‘This should be our Dunblane moment. Only with social media not guns.’ I’m thinking of statements by the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary.

In his first speech about the unrest last week, Sir Keir Starmer said: ‘And let me also say to large social media companies and those who run them… Violent disorder clearly whipped up online… That is also a crime. It’s happening on your premises.