Met chief urges clearer online speech laws after Linehan arrest

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley defended the officers who arrested comedy writer Graham Linehan at Heathrow Airport on Monday but said the force has been placed in an impossible position and called on the government to clarify laws governing speech online. Rowley said in a statement on Wednesday that the arrest was made under existing legislation over allegations of inciting violence linked to posts on X, but that police should not be asked to police toxic culture war debates and need clearer guidance from lawmakers.

Rowley said officers had reasonable grounds to believe an offence under the Public Order Act had been committed and that threats of physical violence toward an identified person or protected group should be acted upon. He added, however, that where intent and harm are ambiguous, successive governments had left police obliged to record reports as crimes and follow all lines of inquiry. As a result the force will adopt a more stringent triaging process so only the most serious online cases that present a clear risk of harm or disorder will be taken forward while he offers suggestions to the Home Office on changing law and policy.