Downing Street Says » Race Relations and Incitement

» Thursday, February 2, 2006

Race Relations and Incitement

Asked, in light of the today’s BNP court ruling, whether Ministers were studying the laws to see if there was a worrying and potentially inflammatory gap, the PMOS said that he recognised the seriousness of the question but it was premature to offer a considered response at this early stage. Asked what the Prime Minister thought of Peter Mandelson’s criticism of newspaper’s publishing the Danish cartoons, the PMOS said the EU trade commissioner spoke his own mind and he spoke for the Prime Minister. It was entirely a matter for media organisations to decide what they wanted to do within the law. It was for people to reach their own judgements.

Asked whether the Prime Minister had asked for a report on the ramifications, the PMOS said he was not aware of any request and it was for media organisations, as with any other matter, to reach their own view based on their own judgements. Put to the PMOS that the Prime Minister of Denmark had had to call in ambassadors to explain Danish newspapers conduct and whether there was any reaction to the BBC’s decision to show them, the PMOS said in this country there were ways in which the media reached their judgements and they knew they had to do so within the law. It would be entirely wrong for the Government to dictate what media organisations could or could not do. Asked whether the new religious hatred law had scope to cope, the PMOS said that it was entirely a matter for the police and legal authorities to make their assessments.

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