On speaking the truth to power
Heckler, 82, who dared called Straw a liar is held under terrorist law
By Andrew Sparrow
Labour had to apologise to an 82-year-old activist last night after he was roughly thrown out of the party conference for heckling Jack Straw on Iraq.
The leadership faced angry protests from MPs and party members who accused it of stifling dissent and abandoning traditions of free speech.
The Foreign Secretary was telling the conference that Britain was in Iraq “for one reason only” – to help the elected Iraqi government – when Walter Wolfgang shouted: “That’s a lie and you know it.”</i>
We are living in the type of situation addressed by the Chinese curse:
May you live in interesting times.
