George Walford: The Meaning of Freedom (Continued)

In IC 27 appeared a piece entitled “The Meaning of Freedom.” It discussed the different conceptions of freedom held by right and left, and showed that the right believed in freedom of action in economic affairs but authoritarian control in political matters. Confirmation of this has been provided by recent developments in the Spycatcher affair.

On Thursday 30 July Sir Alastair Burnet introduced the ITN report on the House of Lords’ decision in the matter with a statement that the report has been compiled within the restrictions imposed by the judgement of the law lords as to what might and what might not be published. Before this such a warning had been given only with reports from South Africa, Rhodesia and Poland. Even the Daily Telegraph now agrees that Britain is subject to “peacetime censorship” (Sunday Times 2 August 1987).

This restriction of political freedom has been achieved by a government busily engaged in returning the nationalised industries to private ownership in the name of economic freedom.

from Ideological Commentary 29, November 1987.