Iain, interestingly the cartoon war may have played a part in that dreadful bill’s defeat. I and a good number of others had wondered whether publishing those cartoons would have breached Blair’s proposed new law. During the course of the debate (the Pub Philosopher reports), “Home Office minister, Paul Goggins, was forced to admit that anyone publishing the cartoons in the UK would be liable to prosecution under the new law.” That (staggering) admission might have pushed a few waverers into doing the right thing.

And people over here ask me why I don’t think much of Blair…

Interestingly, the Pub Philosopher continues to worry that, even as passed, the law will have a chilling effect on free speech. We’ll have to see, I guess.