Gandhi said that “Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.” Yet in today’s world of censorship, political correctness and the nanny state how far will our loss of freedom go before the people have had enough.

Many civil liberties and rights have been lost in recent years due to the war on terrorism and the attached necessities that go with it; however this although the most publicised is perhaps not the most detrimental to our society. Our world today is one of CCTV cameras and the imposing hand on Government over our day to day activities. Although I am a supporter of these measures it seems somewhat strange that our elected representatives are going to such an extent to protect and serve us when they are perfectly happy to roundly abuse their positions.

It seems that if you fit into certain boxes and labels these days that you’re ok however if you are a fully able male who is heterosexual, works, doesn’t claim benefits and is Christian then the Government has decided that you don’t need your civil rights anymore. This is echoed by some Tory MPs take Phillip Davies for example he said ‘The fear is if you are white and you say something that may be considered derogatory by somebody about an ethnic minority, you are going to be sacked or locked up.’ How was this perfectly understandable statement received in Whitehall, with calls for him to be sacked and the Conservatives distancing themselves when all he did was fulfil thee role he was surely elected to do, to represent the people of his constituency.

This idea of Freedom of Speech and expression was incorporated into our law under Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights, however this bill has done nothing but suffocate the entire legal system of this country. It sees paedophiles released early from jail and muggers walk the streets because of the fact that prisons are and I quote the former Home Secretary and now Justice Minister Jack Straw ‘too overcrowded with people that shouldn’t be there.’

It seems daft that a man of his clear intelligence can so completely misunderstand that feelings of the populous who want to see more people put away not see loose. But I digress. No longer can we challenge other political, religious or racial groups to account for their actions, no longer can we discuss openly the pros and cons of immigration and no longer can people say, do you know what I don’t care about the rest of the world lets look after our own. These are the real issues that British people want addressed this is what really matters, however everyone from the top down is so afraid of being labelled a scaremonger or a racist that politicians wont discuss what matters especially if they are white and non-Muslim.

For instance why is it that the only Anglican leader that is willing to address problems with immigration in today’s society is the black Archbishop of York John Sentamu. He said that multiculturalism seems to imply to him ‘let other cultures be allowed to express themselves but do not let the majority culture at all tell us its glories, its struggles, its joys, its pains.’ Why is it that no one else has come out and said this, the same point with Trevor Phillips the former head of the Commission for Racial Equality and Human Rights who said that Britain was ’sleepwalking towards segregation.’ As both these men are black they are allowed to comment on immigration and this is a direct contradiction of Freedom of Speech were all are free to express their opinions.

My final point is this on my computer at Winchester University I am refused access to the site of the National Front a legitimate and fully licensed political party with a an elected councillor who has since defected to the BNP, however much you disagree with their politics and aims it is irrelevant they still have the right to express them. Especially when you consider that on the same computer I can access pro al-qaeda and Chechen rebel sites that are fully illegal and recognised as terrorist organisations by the UN. Why is that? It is because one fits the bill of what is permitted in today’s liberal society where everyone has to feel guilty about everything and one is representing the views of people that have more protecting from the Human Rights Convention that anyone else, the rule breakers themselves. I assume that this is one of the mistakes that Ghandi was referring to.