The hoo-ha over free speech being trampled on has always seemed exaggerated. I earn my living through voicing my opinions, and not once have I ever felt unable to say exactly what I think – especially when that’s controversial or offends large numbers of people.

It is terrible that Linehan should have had to go through this. But if it wakes more of us up, his arrest will have served our country well

I am, of course, well aware that some people have had a very different experience – such as the comedy writer Graham Linehan, creator of Father Ted , who has robustly pointed out that biology means that men who identify as women are, nonetheless, still men. For that, his career was effectively ended in an industry that has long been in thrall to trans and other ideologies.

But I have bridl

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