I’ve had a lot of people in my mentions criticising me for being against free speech, re: Wiley. This is wrong.

Let me explain why.

In England and Wales it can be an offence to stir up hatred on the grounds of race and/or religion.

Wiley’s tweets clearly did this and, therefore, free speech does not cover hate speech.

More specifically, online, messages calling for racial or religious violence - such as Wiley’s - are hate crimes and thus not covered by free speech protections.

In short, everybody has the right to free speech but that is subject to restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society.

Wiley is free to say what he likes but that doesn’t make him immune from other laws that endanger others.

More than that, I am entitled to say that I want him arrested or his MBE revoked or his Twitter banned or that I want him to perform the YMCA on a plinth on Trafalgar Square.

I can say whatever I like in response, as long as my speech does not become harassment or hate speech.

Free speech is vital to a democracy, yes.

But it has limits.

Also, me saying I’d like him to stop saying hateful things isn’t me limiting his free speech. It’s simply using mine.