An excellent letter from Baroness Nicholson on the arrest of comedy writer, Graham Linchan, by five armed officers in the UK.

Dear Sir Mark,

I have read your thoughtful and illuminating statement on the arrest of comedy writer, Graham Linchan, by five armed officers on the grounds that his tweets might incite violence.

I abhor the attempt to scapegoat Parliament for the witless actions of your officers. I fear no amount of legislation could compensate for their apparent inability to exercise intelligent judgment. You say officers have "no choice but to record such incidents as crimes when they're reported. Then they are obliged to follow all lines of enquiry and take action as appropriate." Regrettably, Sir Mark, that is poppycock!

One of the cited tweets ended with "Punch them in the balls." Another ended with "Fuck em." Are they both to be taken literally as incitements to violence? Do you or your officers sincerely contend that "Fuck em" might be meant to cause anyone to engage in sexual intercourse (whether or not consensually)? Do your colleagues require Parliament to legislate on the meaning of "Fuck em" and whether or not it should be taken literally? In the meantime, must all reported incidents be recorded as a crime before anyone engages their adult brain?

I would hope your answer is "Obviously not," but I cannot be confident. If your officers can identify one phrase as not meant literally, surely they ought to be able to do that with the other and dismiss the complaint.

On this occasion the incidents were reported by former police constable Lynsay Watson; a transgender male dismissed for gross misconduct by Leicestershire Police as he waged a campaign of harassment against people with the legally protected belief that human beings cannot change sex. Your colleagues have allowed themselves to be exploited as tools in that continuing and orchestrated campaign

Watson has form. He has taken legal action against three police forces, the British Transport Police Federation, the Police Appeals Tribunal, the Ministry of Defence and sundry individuals who do not comply with his demands. Were your colleagues wary of being added to the list? Were they simply ignorant? Or are they, as you assert, mere automatons impelled to act unthinkingly once their buttons are pushed? Whatever the case, no depth of detail in a Policing with Common Sense Bill will solve the problem.

Instead of blaming Parliament for the inability of your officers to think for themselves intelligently, perhaps you might firmly tell them, please, to stop being stupid.

Yours sincerely,

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne