Freedom of speech in the UK?????

A bit rude ronib.

But common place tactic, they used that in the universities too, these dangerous people with their dangerous thoughts.

ronib

Lots of comments make me think that you are all blissfully unaware and uninformed when it comes to issues surrounding government security. Just as well you don’t run any aspect of it.

Yes, it a bloody good job that I’m not in charge of security for the government.
I know that they have form for promoting people beyond their level of competence; but that would take the biscuit

I want you to take that job now fanny, I believe in you

A government that regards any member of a different political party, and any expression of criticism of it, as a 'security risk' seems to me to be one that has gone far down the road of extreme paranoia and repression.

NotSpaghetti well I think it’s pretty daft to be so clueless about Porton Down of all places!! I can’t believe what I am reading.

There seems to be a distinct McCarthyite flavour to your view, ronib

Maizie D maybe sit down and have a little think before you write.

I would suspect that as an expert in chemical weapons Kaszeta has had a fair amount of interaction with Porton Down in the past.

ronib

Maizie D maybe sit down and have a little think before you write.

I did.

I think you might be as well to take your own advice.

Next time spend even longer…MaizieD
Exactly what are you talking about? Kaszeta ? What exactly are you saying?

I think your comment about McCarthyite is outrageous.

If it is a Tory conference then they have a right to choose who they have as speakers. If it is a general scientific conference then they should not cancel a speaker if he just happens to disagree with them but has good credentials as a scientist. Not hard to work out, really.

The article- last paragraph - it’s the Ministry of Defence…. Not the Conservative Party? How very confusing.

It's an international conference hosted by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) on behalf of the Ministry of Defence (MOD).

www.gov.uk/government/news/register-for-2023-chemical-weapons-demilitarisation-conference

ronib

NotSpaghetti well I think it’s pretty daft to be so clueless about Porton Down of all places!! I can’t believe what I am reading.

Where has he been openly speaking about Porton Down (or presented as a security risk)?

ronib

Next time spend even longer…MaizieD
Exactly what are you talking about? Kaszeta ? What exactly are you saying?

I think your comment about McCarthyite is outrageous.

I know you do.

But I think your comments about a respected chemical weapons expert being a possible security risk because he isn't a tory and has mildly criticised the government are even more outrageous.

Oh, and is he suspect because he's 'foreign', too?

You should listen to yourself.

ronib

The article- last paragraph - it’s the Ministry of Defence…. Not the Conservative Party? How very confusing.

When I last checked, the Ministry of Defence was part of the UK government machinery. And which party is running (or pretending to run) the government at the moment?

ronib

NotSpaghetti well I think it’s pretty daft to be so clueless about Porton Down of all places!! I can’t believe what I am reading.

Who's clueless about Porton Down?

It's a conference held on their premises for international participants. I don't suppose it includes a guided tour of sensitive material. By the way, Porton Down doesn't just handle chemical weapons.

DstL is a scientific lab and is supposed to be politically neutral. If any of the speakers were to say something that didn't fit the government's agenda (and I don't even know if that's true in this case), they would be speaking in their capacity as scientists not propagandists for government policy.

MaizieD

ronib

Next time spend even longer…MaizieD
Exactly what are you talking about? Kaszeta ? What exactly are you saying?

I think your comment about McCarthyite is outrageous.

I know you do.

But I think your comments about a respected chemical weapons expert being a possible security risk because he isn't a tory and has mildly criticised the government are even more outrageous.

Oh, and is he suspect because he's 'foreign', too?

You should listen to yourself.

Many of the speakers at the conference are foreign. Kaszeta is a British citizen.

MaizieD Nope… you have misunderstood. Kaszeta needs to be much more aware about security vetting processes.
Nothing to do with being a Tory or not.
I am surprised that a scientist of his calibre would not understand in better detail the hoops you need to jump through to work on the most sensitive areas of defence.
The fact that Z is a foreign national who posts vaguely anti government tweets is not in his favour.

The conference is taking place in London, not Wiltshire, anyway.

ronib

MaizieD Nope… you have misunderstood. Kaszeta needs to be much more aware about security vetting processes.
Nothing to do with being a Tory or not.
I am surprised that a scientist of his calibre would not understand in better detail the hoops you need to jump through to work on the most sensitive areas of defence.
The fact that Z is a foreign national who posts vaguely anti government tweets is not in his favour.

Who's Z?

Government policy since last year (introduced under the Johnson regime IIRC)

From the cancellation letter to Dan Kaszeta

Rules introduced by the Cabinet Office in 2022 specify that the social media accounts of potential speakers must be vetted before final acceptance to the programme. This is to check whether these people have ever criticsed government officials or government policy. The vetting process is impartial and purely evidence-based. The check on your social media has identified material that criticises government officials and policy.

Z holds dual nationality American and British in the interests of accuracy

Kaszeta …. K not Z