The Liberal Democrats are yet again demonstrating that they are no longer liberal and certainly do not believe in democracy. We saw how the party attempted to thwart Brexit and how their 2024 general election manifesto made clear that their aim is to rejoin the EU. Now, not content with ignoring democracy when it suits them, a senior Liberal Democrat has made disparaging comments about social media and freedom of speech. Max Wilkinson is Home Affairs spokesperson and MP for Cheltenham.

His remarks came during a panel discussion at an event hosted by the Demos think-tank where participants were answering the question: 'How do citizens make their voices heard in a healthy democracy?' Max made the following comments: "We obviously have social media, which is a massive problem at the moment for engagement. I'm tempted to say: You know how you make your voice heard as a citizen in 2025 in the UK? Set up an X account and start writing some sort of nativist content, and it will go around the world really, really quickly.

He added: "Your voice will be heard as quickly as you want it to be, not in a way that I would be comfortable with, and I would suggest probably not in a way that most people here this evening would be comfortable with either. But that is a really easy way to get your voice heard. Get some content about, you know, how you think immigration's too high. Or immigration is the big thing that's tearing the country apart, etc. And that goes around the world because social media, run by the world's richest man, X, is now making sure that you can have your voice heard in a really easy way that you couldn't in the past."

The tone and essence of his comments suggest he is condemning those who might dare to use social media as a way of expressing their frustration with the high levels of immigration that our country has experienced over recent decades.

His use of the word "nativist" is a dead giveaway as this is typically used in a negative way to describe those who believe in protecting the rights of native-born or established inhabitants over those of immigrants.

The backlash against his words accused him of wanting to control freedom of speech.

Conservative MP Katie Lam authored an excellent article for the Conservative Home website condemning his remarks while The Freedom Speech Union called his views "deeply disturbing."

Max went into bat against his critics by writing a piece for the Liberal Democrat Voice website where he attempted to defend his position, but instead only further highlighted his contempt for those that do not share his cuddly and positive view of mass immigration.

His article included the lines: "If you're able to write really controversial viewpoints on immigration and you can whip up anger on cultural issues too; you can even make money from it - just ask the MPs who have made it a successful grift. It's also clear that those who pay for access to X can have their voices heard on a wildly outsized basis. That might be the sort of free speech those on the hard right of politics would like to see. Because that's free speech for people like them and those who pay for the privilege."

The use of the term "hard right" is interesting too - this description is frequently used by those on the left of the political spectrum to categorise and demonise those voters who might feel that uncontrolled or illegal migration has damaged the UK.

The Liberal Democrats have form for this kind of 'two-tier' freedom of speech as their leader, Sir Ed Davey, demonstrated only last month during Prime Minister's Questions.

He made highly defamatory remarks (handily protected by parliamentary privilege) about GB News where he accused the TV channel of "propaganda" and asked the Prime Minister on whether broadcast regulator Ofcom was doing its job properly.

"It's clear they have turned GB news into the Reform Channel. Mr Speaker we cannot We cannot let GB News propaganda turn our great country into their version of Trump's America," he said.

GB News has stormed to success in the last few years by rightly and unashamedly highlighting issues such as the impact of uncontrolled immigration and giving a platform to Reform UK and Conservative Party politicians who take a much harder line on the issue than the Liberal Democrats ever would.

Ironically for Sir Ed, GB News was the only national broadcaster that covered his party's Spring Conference.

The Liberal Democrats only seem to believe in freedom of speech if they agree with what is being said, but they are not alone in this.

Left-wing politicians across the board despise dissent or criticism so they look to suppress it - which is why we must challenge this sinister mindset at every opportunity.