Top UK police chief urges change to online speech law after comedian’s arrest
Metropolitan Police commissioner says officers are in an 'impossible position' after Graham Linehan was detained at Heathrow over social media posts
The head of the United Kingdom’s largest police force has called for a change or clarification to laws on inciting violence on social media after Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan was arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport on suspicion of posting material online that could amount to an offence.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said officers involved in the detention had "reasonable grounds to believe an offence had been committed" but added that police had been left "between a rock and a hard place" when investigating alleged online hate speech and were struggling to police what he described as "toxic culture wars debates."
Rowley’s comments came after Linehan, 57, was arrested on Monday. Police said the arrest related to three posts on the social media platform X in April that they suspected might amount to incitement to violence under the Public Order Act. One of the posts, according to police, referenced the presence of a trans-identified male in female-only spaces and urged action; police have said they were investigating whether the messages met the threshold for a criminal offence.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said ministers must "look at" laws governing online speech after the arrest, arguing that existing statutes had increased pressure on police and diverted resources from addressing street crime. Speaking to the BBC, Streeting said it was "very easy for people to criticise police" who were enforcing laws passed by Parliament and that the government wanted officers to focus on violent crime and public safety.
The arrest has prompted a wider political debate about the balance between policing harmful online content and protecting freedom of expression. Conservative politicians and public figures including author J.K. Rowling criticized the detention as an "absurd infringement of free speech," while other commentators said the episode highlighted gaps in the legal framework for handling potentially criminal online rhetoric.
In the United States, British politician Nigel Farage raised the case during testimony before the House Judiciary Committee in Washington, warning that visitors to the UK could be subject to similar action for posts made online. "At what point did we become North Korea?" Farage asked, and noted that Linehan is an Irish citizen, saying the arrest demonstrated risk to non-British nationals when entering the United Kingdom.
Police have not announced any charges. The Metropolitan Police said officers executed an arrest on suspicion of incitement to violence and that their action followed an assessment of the relevant posts. Rowley defended the decision to arrest while urging lawmakers to consider clearer statutory guidance to help officers distinguish between criminal conduct and offensive or controversial speech.
Linehan is known for co-creating British and Irish sitcoms, including The IT Crowd and Father Ted. The arrest adds to a pattern of high-profile cases that have tested how existing public order and hate crime laws apply to speech on social media platforms, prompting calls from some politicians and civil liberties groups for a detailed review of the law.
Government ministers have said they will consider whether current legislation needs amendment to reduce uncertainty for police and the public. For now, firearms to be carried out under existing statutes will continue while legal and parliamentary scrutiny proceeds.
The Metropolitan Police and the Home Office did not provide a timetable for any potential changes to the law. Police said they would continue to investigate online complaints in line with current legislation and guidance.