If the Leveson Inquiry does nothing else, then it has at least provided a useful guide to the British Left for those of us on the saliva-speckled wastelands of British conservatism.
Political tribes are complex but occasionally one issue will neatly divide a movement into easily identifiable clans, of which press regulation is one. And on one side you have one part of the British Left, the liberal tradition that values the liberty of all as a starting principle, and on the other the radical tradition that sees press freedom as a way for the rich to monopolise power.
We might call them ‘The Decent Left’ and ‘The Idiots’; and while it’s not a clear-cut test, and there may be some Idiots against regulation and some Decents in favour, as a rule of thumb it works. Here is a rough taxonomic guide to finding out how is a Decent and who is an Idiot:
Do they see their opponents as evil, and with malignant motives? Do they start from the premise that their opponents have darker motives, and that this is start of some appalling slaughter of the innocents?
Are their politics motivated by hate? So much of the vitriol against the Daily Mail is pretty weird, all these people shouting about how hateful the paper is and yet so full of hate themselves.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in