What, you wonder, do they teach them in police college these days? Gangs, cyber crime, forensics, public safety, drugs --there's doubtless a lot to learn. But I would like to suggest a new and compulsory course, let's call it The
Basics Of Free Speech.
Lesson number 1. The police do not tell newspaper editors what to write.
You think this is too basic? That in 21st Century Britain no police officer would dream of telling a newspaper
editor not to publish information and meekly to hand back any leaked documents to their rightful owners?
If you think that, then you haven't been paying attention. You evidently missed Friday's statement from one of the most
senior officers [Neil Basu] in the , advising owners, editors, publishers -- along with anyone on social media -- exactly what they shouldn't publish.
Press
freedom is the most vital freedom because it underpins all the others. When governments allow that freedom to be corroded they undermine the very foundations of our democracy.
For that reason we need a new Official Secrets Act,
and a general protection for press freedom against the rapidly developing intrusive powers of the modern State.
The events of the past few weeks have demonstrated only too clearly why this is necessary.
21st July 2019. See 
