Fight for the right to be insulting!

Wednesday, 16th May 2012 Nigel Farage MEP, the UKIP leader today pledged the Party’s wholehearted support for the Reform Section 5 campaign which calls for the right to be insulted without running to the law for protection from hurt feelings, and the repeal of Section 5 of the Public Order Act. He said: “Not that I have ever been known to insult anybody in the course of my work, nor indeed that anybody has ever felt the need to insult me or UKIP for that matter. "But the principle that freedom of speech, a basic Liberty, must be defended and protected from well meaning legislation is one that UKIP has supported for years. We have had a commitment to reform Section 5 almost since we had any commitments. "In a robust democracy people must be free to insult and be insulted. We have laws that protect against incitement to violence and hatred, that should be enough. To protect my feelings from those who wish to laugh at me or hold me in contempt is a freedom I never wanted, nor hoped for. "So three cheers fro this campaign, three cheers for those like Peter Tatchell, the Christian Institute, David Davis, the Freedom Association and all the others standing up for the liberty of people to throw verbal brickbats around."