It turns out that it was all a misunderstanding. Downing St didn’t ask Facebook to take down the Raoul Moat fan club page. Instead a phone call was made to inform the company that it had this unpleasant material on its site – in case it hadn’t noticed. So we are told by the government this morning: “I don’t think we’re in favour of censorship,” said the official spokesman.
Perhaps Cameron thought twice about the implications of a liberal coalition (with a small l and a big L) trying to censor a private company.
By now the red-top headlines have all carried the same headlines, which make Cameron look like a moral crusader. Mission completed. Time to move on.
Jim Pickard
Kiran Stacey