Panorama journalist and former UK drugs adviser blocked from holding lecture in Cardiff
It was hoped John Sweeney, known for investigation into Scientology, and controversial drugs adviser Professor David Nutt would speak at Cardiff Central Library event
A lecture group has been told it cannot stage talks by a BBC journalist who investigated Scientology and the UK Government’s former top drugs adviser at a Cardiff council venue.
Cardiff Skeptics in the Pub (sic) had hoped to host talks by Panorama journalist John Sweeney and Professor David Nutt, who was sacked by the Home Secretary in 2009 after he claimed ecstasy and LSD were less dangerous than alcohol, at Cardiff Central Library.
Staff at the library last month asked organisers at Cardiff Skeptics whether they would be interested in holding future events at the £98m council building on The Hayes.
Cardiff Skeptics had already booked Mr Sweeney and Prof Nutt to visit Cardiff in June and July and suggested their talks take place at the library, which could accommodate about 100 people.
Email correspondence shows a senior assistant at the library said it would be “great” to host the pair, but there might be an issue “about the controversial nature of the talks”.
The staff member said the decision would be at the discretion of library managers, later citing the council’s equalities plan Everybody Matters.
“Anything that goes against the overall precepts of Cardiff council’s equalities plan would be a definite no. So no EDL (English Defence League) in Central Library. Apart from that I think it’s just at the discretion of managers,” the library worker said in the email.
Yesterday, the library told Cardiff Skeptics that the library manager had decided it “wouldn’t be able to do it”, but offered no further explanation.
WalesOnline has contacted the council for a comment.
Mr Sweeney, who would have discussed his book Church Of Fear: Inside The Weird World Of Scientology, today said he was “astonished” at the decision.
The award-winning journalist said: “Surely this is a matter of free speech. I’m a BBC reporter, but I’m speaking in my capacity as a private individual who lives in a democracy.
“The ratepayers of Cardiff live in a democracy and I would have thought that the council has got a job and duty that it doesn’t host events which are inimical to public order.
“Banning the English Defence League is a matter for them, but this? Professor Nutt, I believe, is a sceptic on the question of whether hard drugs should be completely banned.
“That, in a democracy, is a perfectly proper opinion for him to have. He may be wrong, he may be right, but surely in a democracy it’s perfectly fair to address this.
“The Church of Scientology, I think, are entirely aware of who I am and what my book says, but this is an issue of free speech and I do not believe anything I would say would cause public disorder.”
Cardiff Skeptics organiser Jonathan Stabler said while no reason was specified for the booking refusal, given the earlier email exchanges he assumes it was because of the controversial nature of the speakers.
“Professor Nutt is a highly respected scientist and researcher. Does being fired by the Home Secretary automatically make you a really controversial person now? It’s quite strange,” he said.
“There is no evidence of political interference, but it does seem the case that maybe public servants have been a little over-zealous in their application of policy.”
Panorama journalist and former UK drugs adviser blocked from holding lecture ...
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