A senior Labour MP has described Essex Police's decision to investigate Telegraph journalist Allison Pearson over an X post as "Stasi-like".
Graham Stringer, MP for Blackley & Middleton South, questioned Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner about the concerning treatment of the prominent journalist.
The criticism stems from a police visit to Pearson's home on Remembrance Sunday, where officers sought to investigate an allegedly offensive tweet.
During Deputy Prime Minister's Questions, Stringer suggested that police forces would be "better trying to deal with shoplifting, burglaries and other crimes, rather than intimidating journalists".
The incident ignited a fierce debate about press freedom and police priorities, drawing reactions from across the political spectrum.
Essex Police faced particular scrutiny over its handling of the investigation, which remarkably involved the establishment of a gold group typically reserved for major crimes.
Two police officers arrived at Pearson's residence at 9.40am on Remembrance Sunday to inform her she was under investigation.
The officers invited her to a voluntary interview regarding an allegedly offensive tweet from a year ago.
The investigation falls under Section 17 of the Public Order Act 1986, concerning material allegedly likely or intended to cause racial hatred.
During the visit, officers declined to provide details about which specific post on X was being investigated or who had filed the complaint.
The scale of the investigation has also raised eyebrows, with three separate forces involved - Essex Police, the Metropolitan Police and Sussex Police.
Rayner acknowledged the importance of press freedom while responding to Stringer's concerns in Parliament.
"Free speech and our press was part of our democracy," the Deputy Labour leader said.
However, Rayner maintained a cautious stance regarding the specific investigation, noting: "Police are independent and it's a live investigation and therefore it wouldn't be appropriate for me to comment on that."
She emphasised the delicate balance between freedom and responsibility in journalism.
"I do believe that we should have a free press, it's part of our democracy, and we should have free speech. But with that comes responsibility of those that do it," Rayner added.
Sir Keir Starmer previously urged police forces to focus on what matters most to their communities amid the growing debate.
He said: "This is a matter for the police themselves, police force by police force, so they can make their decisions and will obviously be held to account for those decisions."
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch offered strong support for journalistic freedom, telling The Telegraph that "journalists shouldn't be getting visited by the police for expressing opinions".
Badenoch further highlighted ongoing concerns about free speech protection, noting: "There has been a long-running problem with people not taking free speech seriously."
Responding to Stringer's intervention, Pearson said: "My heartfelt thanks to Labour MP Graham Stringer for calling the police visit to my home over a year-old tweet 'Stasi-like'.
"This should not be a tribal matter. In a free country, opinions are not the police’s business."
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Graham Stringer, MP for Blackley & Middleton South, questioned Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner about the concerning treatment of the prominent journalist.
The criticism stems from a police visit to Pearson's home on Remembrance Sunday, where officers sought to investigate an allegedly offensive tweet.
During Deputy Prime Minister's Questions, Stringer suggested that police forces would be "better trying to deal with shoplifting, burglaries and other crimes, rather than intimidating journalists".
The incident ignited a fierce debate about press freedom and police priorities, drawing reactions from across the political spectrum.
Essex Police faced particular scrutiny over its handling of the investigation, which remarkably involved the establishment of a gold group typically reserved for major crimes.
Two police officers arrived at Pearson's residence at 9.40am on Remembrance Sunday to inform her she was under investigation.
The officers invited her to a voluntary interview regarding an allegedly offensive tweet from a year ago.
The investigation falls under Section 17 of the Public Order Act 1986, concerning material allegedly likely or intended to cause racial hatred.
During the visit, officers declined to provide details about which specific post on X was being investigated or who had filed the complaint.
The scale of the investigation has also raised eyebrows, with three separate forces involved - Essex Police, the Metropolitan Police and Sussex Police.
Rayner acknowledged the importance of press freedom while responding to Stringer's concerns in Parliament.
"Free speech and our press was part of our democracy," the Deputy Labour leader said.
However, Rayner maintained a cautious stance regarding the specific investigation, noting: "Police are independent and it's a live investigation and therefore it wouldn't be appropriate for me to comment on that."
She emphasised the delicate balance between freedom and responsibility in journalism.
"I do believe that we should have a free press, it's part of our democracy, and we should have free speech. But with that comes responsibility of those that do it," Rayner added.
Sir Keir Starmer previously urged police forces to focus on what matters most to their communities amid the growing debate.
He said: "This is a matter for the police themselves, police force by police force, so they can make their decisions and will obviously be held to account for those decisions."
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch offered strong support for journalistic freedom, telling The Telegraph that "journalists shouldn't be getting visited by the police for expressing opinions".
Badenoch further highlighted ongoing concerns about free speech protection, noting: "There has been a long-running problem with people not taking free speech seriously."
Responding to Stringer's intervention, Pearson said: "My heartfelt thanks to Labour MP Graham Stringer for calling the police visit to my home over a year-old tweet 'Stasi-like'.
"This should not be a tribal matter. In a free country, opinions are not the police’s business."
Find Out More...