Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan is preparing to sue the London Metropolitan Police after being arrested at Heathrow Airport over gender-critical posts on social media, in a case that has sparked a national row over free speech
The Father Ted co-creator was detained by five armed officers on arrival from the United States and questioned for several hours under suspicion of a public order offence. He has since been released on bail, with conditions including a ban on using social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
Linehan said he had been “treated like a terrorist for speaking [his] mind on social media” and accused Britain of becoming a “dystopian clown show”. His lawyers say they are considering action for wrongful arrest, unlawful restriction of free speech, and defamation.
The case drew sharp condemnation from public figures, including J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk, who labelled Britain a “police state.” Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also pledged to raise the issue in testimony before the U.S. Congress, warning of “a war on freedom in the UK.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told parliament on Wednesday, September 3 that
We have a long history of free speech in this country …. we must ensure the police focus on the most serious issues.
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley defended his officers, saying they had “reasonable grounds” to believe an offence had been committed under the Public Order Act—but admitted forces were being drawn into “toxic culture wars”.
Rowley’s call for greater legal clarity—and promises of a stricter ‘triaging’ process to ensure only the most serious online cases are pursued—are unlikely to counter Linehan’s threat of legal action.
Linehan’s contested posts included a remark that women encountering men in female-only spaces should “make a scene, call the cops and, if all else fails, punch him in the balls.”
