Woke mob must NOT be allowed to silence more voices

ONCE we used to laugh at what we then called ‘political correctness’. We mistakenly thought it was a passing joke. Then we found that it was deadly serious, permanent and constantly expanding its reach.

Everything from children’s storybooks to Government White Papers was raked over for signs of unacceptable old-fashioned thinking, perceived racism, sexism or some other alleged phobia.

It was a peculiarity of so-called ‘Loony Left’ town halls. Not any more.

Members of the Royal Family, the Archbishop of Canterbury and police chiefs embrace what is now called wokeness. The BBC has adopted it in almost every aspect of its governance and broadcasting.

Even cookery books and popular TV cartoons must submit to inquisitions or undergo changes to be acceptable.

Many universities have disgracefully abandoned the risky, controversial search for truth and chosen instead to live in brain-dead safe spaces in which nobody can be offended.

Now the distinguished Tory peer and humanitarian Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne has been stripped of her honorary vice-presidency of the Booker Prize Foundation, which oversees the literary award her late husband co-founded. Lady Nicholson can be needlessly rude on Twitter. Her views on same-sex marriage are out of step with most modern opinion. But she is free to hold such views even if they are now decried by the publishing industry, which has happily enjoyed the publicity and other benefits brought to it by the Booker Prize.

Perhaps the Baroness was just an easier target than the Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, who recently fought off a similar attack and just so happens to have once co-founded a children’s charity with Baroness Nicholson.

Either way, the attack on freedom of thought and speech is increasing, and ought to be diminished before it is too late.