Yardley MP Jess Phillips in Birmingham as part of The Great Get Together weekend to celebrate the life of murdered MP Jo Cox. Joe Giddens/Press Association. All rights reserved. I have no political sympathy for Damien Green. But the fact that he has been exposed to a defamatory media campaign while he has not committed any offence should force all those who believe in civil liberties to stand in his defence.
First, let us look at how ridiculous are the charges against him. It is not an offence to hold pornographic material on your computer. If a government would like to ban pornography, it is entitled to introduce the appropriate legislation. So far, not a single government, not even Saudi Arabia as far as I know, has introduced such legislation. Certainly, nobody in the UK or in any other member of the European Union. So, where is the crime?
Second, do we really want to launch witch-hunting against those who watch pornography? I admire Jess Phillips, the Labour MP and also a leading member of the Women and Equalities Committee of the House of Commons. But I totally disagree with her request of resignation from Damien Green. How could a defender of human rights on so many occasions turn so quickly into being an inquisitor? Everybody that calls for the resignation of Damien Green should be brave enough to deliver his or her computer to an independent enquire to check if any “improper” use has been made. For sure, I am not prepared to deliver mine. Does Jess Phillips or anybody else at the Houses of Parliament volunteer to deliver her or his computer?
