The Government have come out batting for Sir Roger Scruton. Guido welcomes their rare backbone sticking up for a good appointment, and standing up to a baying twitter mob.

UPDATE: Jacob Rees-Mogg makes the point that while Scruton was busy standing up for free speech and democracy in the Soviet Union, several Labour MPs – including some Gwynne now sits alongside on the Labour frontbench – were more interested in sympathising with the oppressive communist regime…