Free speech row after police investigate journalist over social media post from a year ago
POLICE have sparked a free speech row by investigating a journalist over a social media post made a year ago.
Officers turned up at Allison Pearson’s home on Remembrance Sunday to question her about a non-crime hate incident.
The Telegraph commentator said they claimed they were not allowed to tell her what she had said on the X platform.
But she stood accused of “stirring up racial hatred” in a now-deleted post.
Essex Police confirmed they called at Ms Pearson’s house and she was invited to a voluntary interview.
The force is still investigating.
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The incident enraged opposition politicians, with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp railing: “The police should not be wasting time targeting journalists or the public for expressing opinions.”
Reform UK’s Nigel Farage added: “This is Orwellian in the extreme. I’m appalled.”
Billionaire X boss Elon Musk, who has criticised PM Sir Keir Starmer over his handling of the summer riots, said on X: “This needs to stop.”
And former PM Boris Johnson said police who had their hands full were “being forced to behave like a woke Securitate”.
