Britain's oppressive and authoritarian 'hate-speech' laws are essentially laws of appeasement, their main purpose to placate those who might react with violent rage to mockery, criticism or insult.

Because unfortunately, many from the Third World - especially from Islamic countries - have little or no experience of free exchange of ideas, or peaceful resolution of disagreement via reasoned debate and the ballot box.

Theocratic totalitarianism too often prevails in such places, with religious law maintained by punishments such as stoning, lashing, amputation or beheading.

If such correctives are a little too brutal for Western enemies of free speech, they have few qualms about imprisoning citizens who express unorthodox views.

Prosecution tends to be a last resort, however, as the leftist deep state has more subtle and effective ways of bringing political dissenters to heel, prime among them being denial of livelihood.

A number of Britain First supporters have personal experience of this, losing jobs or voluntary positions simply for backing or being seen to be associated with our organisation.

The Hulme family, for example, sacked and ejected from their home at short notice for allowing Britain First to meet in the Manchester pub they ran.

And Ken Kearsey, thrown out of the Church of England for expressing robust but honestly-held views on Islam and Islamisation.

This week's sacrifice to the God of Diversity is Sir Roger Scruton, eminent professor and world-renowned authority on art history, aesthetics and conservative philosophy, among other topics.

The good prof's un-PC opinions on various issues have got him fired from a high-profile official role:

Government advisor Roger Scruton has been sacked after using 'the language of white supremacists' in an interview.

Sir Scruton [sic] made controversial comments about George Soros, Chinese people and Islam in an interview with the New Statesman.

He had been chairing the Ministry of Housing's Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission but was sacked by Secretary of State James Brokenshire on Tuesday.

Predictably enough, it was Labour's 'Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary' who put the 'supremacy' boot in. Dawn Butler said: 'These comments are despicable and invoke the language of white supremacists.'

Lord help us! Does it never occur to these people how absurd and hysterical they sound?

Opinions, Ms Butler, just opinions - no need to get your knickers in a twist!

Free speech and genuine political opposition are dying in Britain - or rather, they're being murdered by the Left, while eunuch 'Conservatives' look the other way.

Therefore, we urge readers to take every opportunity to spread Professor Scruton's wise words: his sacrifice must not be in vain!

Sir Roger Scruton on Islam

From Islam and the West: Lines of Demarcation:

'The West today is involved in a protracted and violent struggle with the forces of radical Islam. This conflict is intensely difficult, both because of our enemy's dedication to his cause, and also, perhaps most of all, because of the enormous cultural shift that has occurred in Europe and America since the end of the Vietnam War. Put simply, the citizens of Western states have lost their appetite for foreign wars; they have lost the hope of scoring any but temporary victories; and they have lost confidence in their way of life. Indeed, they are no longer sure what that way of life requires of them.

'At the same time, they have been confronted with a new opponent, one who believes that the Western way of life is profoundly flawed, and perhaps even an offense against God. In a 'fit of absence of mind,' Western societies have allowed this opponent to gather in their midst; sometimes, as in France, Britain and the Netherlands, in ghettos which bear only tenuous and largely antagonistic relations to the surrounding political order. And in both America and Europe there has been a growing desire for appeasement: a habit of public contrition; an acceptance, though with heavy heart, of the censorious edicts of the mullahs; and a further escalation in the official repudiation of our cultural and religious inheritance. Twenty years ago, it would have been inconceivable that the Archbishop of Canterbury would give a public lecture advocating the incorporation of Islamic religious law (shari'ah) into the English legal system. Today, however, many people consider this to be an arguable point, and perhaps the next step on the way to peaceful compromise.'