I guess you were trying to defend Crimestopper’s reputation with your comment, but it reads like such a petulant sulk that it makes me think rather the less of your body after having seen it.

As to the substance – yes, Crimestoppers does some excellent work, and if you look at the top of this blog posting, you’ll see I have updated the initial information, pointing out – as you say – that the advert came from a download.

However – there is an issue around whether such adverts should be available for downloading at all (or if they are – whether they should have wording that deals better with their subsequent possible appearance on illegal radio stations).

I’ll happily go into more detail on all of this when I see sight of your letter.

First, popularity of pirate radio is nothing to do with politics but musical tastes – mainstream radio doesn’t do ‘street’ music. And it really is controlled because bandwidth is limited – radio is more complicated than the pirate fans think and you can get harmonics and superhet frequencies interfering a long way from where you think you’re broadcasting. As a rule I’m against regulation of common resources, but I find it hard to argue in this case. I don’t have that much sympathy with the commercial interests of existing license holders, who ought to provide a better product, but I do with everyone else who also want to get in but have to abide by the law instead.

Second, the reason for limitations on political advocacy is because there’s far more demand for bandwidth than space, and anyone who got a slot would have preferential access. It is as much to stop pro-war, pro-Israel voices dominating as to stop those anti. Everyone looks at media bias relative to their own political position – the left are convinced it is right-wing, the right equally convinced it is left-wing. There are people who would laugh at your suggestion that the Establishment is against Muslims or Palestine, and would reel off a long list of examples of pro-Palestine, Islam-friendly bias, and tell you all the unpleasant truths the media and politicians are too scared to put out. Should they be allowed to do so on pirate radio, do you think? Broadcast media has limited bandwidth so it is controlled to some degree to stop the monopoly power being abused – use the internet to exercise your free speech, it’s got the space for it.

Thirdly, be careful not to suggest that only anti-black, anti-asian comments can be racist. Anti-white comments are racist too, and there are sufficient examples to be found in Britain. And if you include insults against nationality, culture, and religion as a sort of proxy racism, I’d note that there is a lot of very nasty anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-Western, anti-Jew sentiment floating around a number of communities. If you think insulting Pakistanis is racist but insulting Americans or Israelis is not – then you are yourself what you claim to be against.

Britain is one of the most tolerant and inclusive societies in the world, and its hospitality is being abused. Because we’re so nice and we believe in liberty and free speech, we let people do it. There are enough places around the world where to declare yourself against politicians and the government of the country anywhere in public, let alone openly on an MP’s own blog, would get you jail time and worse. Please, do try to appreciate a little what we have here. Allahu yahdika, Mash.

I though your party was differently, clearly, I was wrong.

Thanks

Conservative councillor’s did last year- composing a racist poem by e-mail correspondence about Asian people- and a Tory MP who told a constituent there were more “black criminals than white ones.” Now i am sure to have made the wrong decision.

There are hundreds of examples, including cases covered by the BBC about Conservative’s making comments about BME communities.

The Lib Dems, Labour, Respect, even the unknown parties refrain from making racist remarks and at least are tolerant towards people of other races.

I prefer to be independent and not affiliated to any party who believe that black people are criminals and Asians all rely on benefits. I prefer to say all citizens are equal.

I think Conservatives should be encouraging more women and people from BME communities to join, but it appears to be failing on a national level.

Only a few months ago you tried to oil yourself into the local Conservative Party. Thank goodness we rejected you.