HSLD welcomes Chris Huhne statement on Gert Wilders
November 4, 2009 7:56 AM
In February Chris Huhne supported the Home Office's decision to ban Dutch MP Geert Wilders. Following the the asylum and immigration tribunal decision to let him in Mr Huhne has reviewed his position. He said:
"No-one doubts that Mr Wilders' views are odious and repugnant for any liberal, but the issue is whether they edged over the line to incitement to violence. In retrospect, the furore created by the Home Secretary's refusal merely stoked interest in Mr Wilders' populist opinions that would otherwise have been ignored. I did not realise at the time that Mr Wilders had already been in and out of the United Kingdom without anyone noticing him, and the best chance of once again plunging him into a deserved obscurity - at least in the UK - is to avoid giving him the oxygen of controversy."
At the time of the original decision in February the HSLD wrote to Mr Huhne warning him of the dangers of re-introducing blasphemy by the backdoor. Chair Arnie Gibbons welcomed Mr Huhne's recent statement, commenting "I'm pleased that Chris has taken the time to listen to the concerns of party members, including those of HSLD"