Tony Blair’s sop to Islamic extremists, his proposed law to criminalize the incitement of religious hatred (whatever that may mean), continues to make its way through the legislative process. Matthew Parris takes it apart in the London Times , not least highlighting the danger flowing from the vagueness of its language.

“The whole point of the rule of law is the certainty it gives the citizen. There is no greater injustice than for a citizen to be unable to determine what legal consequences would flow from an action contemplated. The bill, which passed its Second Reading last week, could be used to criminalise great swaths of speech and literature, ancient and modern. This will not happen, but to behave as Mr Clarke is doing is tantamount to empowering the Attorney-General to take such action as he sees fit to prevent or punish such speech or writing as seem to him to encourage religious hatred.”

People sometimes ask what it is about Tony Blair that I find so reprehensible. This squalid piece of legislation is a pretty good place to start.