Wes Streeting wants police on ‘streets’ not ‘policing tweets’ after Graham Linehan arrest

UK health secretary Wes Streeting says the government would rather see police in the “streets” rather than “policing tweets” following the arrest of gender-critical activist Graham Linehan.

Linehan, who created The IT Crowd and Father Ted and is well-known for his controversial views on the trans community, said on Substack that he was arrested at Heathrow on Monday (1 September) after flying back from Arizona and was questioned over posts he made on Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police confirmed a man in his fifties had been arrested at the airport on suspicion of “inciting violence” in relation to posts on X.

On Wednesday (3 September), Streeting – who in April said he regrets saying trans women are women – said during an appearance on Sky News Breakfast with Wilfred Frost that while he could not comment on the specifics of the case, the government would rather see “police on the streets rather than policing tweets”.

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Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said that ministers may need to “look at” free speech laws after comedian Graham Linehan was arrested over his posts on X/Twitter. The 57 year old ‘Father Ted’ creator claims he was arrested he was detained by five armed officers at Heathrow Airport after flying in from Arizona. The Met Police did not identify Linehan but a spokeswoman said: “On Monday, September 1 at 1pm officers arrested a man at Heathrow Airport after he arrived on an inbound American Airlines flight.” “The man in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of inciting violence. This is in relation to posts on X.” Speaking on the BBC Today programme on Wednesday 3 September, Streeting said: “As the prime minister and home secretary have been clear, we want the police to focus on policing streets rather than tweets. “But the thing we are mindful of, as a government that backs the police to keep us safe, is that police are there to enforce the laws that we as Parliament legislate for. “So if over the years, with good intentions, Parliament has layered more and more expectation on police, and diluted the focus and priorities of the public, that’s obviously something we need to look at.” When pressed on whether the free speech laws should be changed, the Health Secretary responded: “When it comes to speech, context is king. We do have to, as legislators, tread really carefully when it comes to boundaries of free speech.” #wesstreeting #ukpolitics #grahamlinehan #freespeech #lgbtqia

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“It’s the easiest thing in the world for people to criticise the police, but they are enforcing laws that parliament has passed and asked them to enforce,” Streeting said.

“So if we haven’t got the balance right, as Parliament over successive governments, that is something that we need to look at because the Home Secretary is very clear about what her priorities are”.

The Met confirmed Linehan had been “bailed pending further investigation” and on his Substack Linehan claimed he had been released on bail under the condition that he must not use X.

In his Substack post, Linehan also shared three posts which are alleged to be the ones which the police arrested him over.

In the first post, shared on 19 April, Linehan shared a photograph of anti-trans rally, with Linehan writing: “A photo you can smell.” In a follow-up post, he wrote: “I hate them. misogynists and homophobes. F*** em.”

The next day, on 20 April, Linehan said in another post that if a trans women uses a female space they are committing a “violent, abusive act” and should be punched “in the balls”.

Linehan is currently facing separate charges of harassment and criminal damage and is set to appear in court Thursday (4 September).

The allegations relate to an incident at the Battle of Ideas festival in London in October 2024 where he is accused of harassing 18-year-old trans woman Sophia Brooks and damaging her phone which was estimated to be worth £369.

In May, Linehan pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Speaking outside Westminster Magistrates Court at the time, he said: “For six years, ever since I began defending the rights of women and children against a dangerous ideology, I have faced harassment, abuse and threats.

“I’ve lost a great deal, but I am still here, and I will not waver in my resolve.”