This past weekend was a bad one for free speech in Britain, as two American left-wing influencers, Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker, were blocked from entering the country to speak at the SXSW festival in London and at Oxford University.
The government's decision to ban them, citing that their presence may not be conducive to the public good, is a worrying aggressive application of discretionary power.
Such power should be used sparingly, and direct and deliberate incitement to violence is rightly unlawful. However, hurtful, disturbing or disgusting views do not meet the bar.
Mr. Piker has many opinions that reasonable people might find offensive, but he does not pose a threat to Britain.
Britain is not the only country that uses visa bans to keep out speakers its government dislikes, but that is no excuse. Parliament should press the government to stop using its powers so casually.
Visa bans on the likes of Mr. West and Mr. Piker will not stop Britons from hearing their views, and the attempt to suppress their speech makes it more likely that Britons will listen to it.
With free speech under siege around the world, it is shameful that Britain, once a bastion of tolerance for vigorous debate, should be turning censorious.
