Graham Linehan has been re-invited to Tory Conference after initially having his application rejected this week. Greater Manchester Police had put a ‘black mark’ on Linehan’s name, which resulted in a ban after the Conservative Party’s systems picked it up. Somewhat ironic considering he was booked to speak at a Freedom of Speech event…

Fortunately for Linehan, the Institute of Economic Affairs went into bat for him, reaching out to the party to address the issue. As a result, the Tories have since extended a renewed invitation to Linehan. Mark Littlewood, Director General of the Institute of Economic Affairs said:

“It’s extraordinary that even the Conservatives came within a whisker of banning a well-known comedian from speaking on a panel about free speech at a party conference. This shows just how deeply cancel culture has permeated institutions across our society. We’re grateful that the Conservatives swiftly u-turned on their initial decision, but they clearly need to review processes so this doesn’t happen to anyone else. There are also serious questions for the police, who are continuing to keep records on individuals who have committed no crime over their entirely legal speech.”

A victory for common sense.