I think everyone is agreed that Vin is entitled to his opinions. I think everyone is agreed that no one has an automatic right to any given booking. I suspect that the Cambridge FF organisers know their audience, and believe that the audience would not appreciate Vin's appearance there. It's perfectly legitimate to make a fuss to point out that there are numbers who would like to see him. It is slightly less than legitimate to use national newspapers, who know nothing about folk music and tend to ridicule it, to give bad publicity to the festival. If successful, such a campaign could merely mean no festival for him to be booked for. It also seems fishy that they are highlighting the abortion issue; the only likely beneficiaries of this would be the anti- abortion lobby groups.

As for abortion, I think the campaigners against would be more credible if they didn't limit their activity to advocating reducing the rights of other people, but worked to reduce the demand for abortion by promoting responsible sex and contraception, improved welfare for single parents and better access to child care if they want to work. I understand that Vin is a Catholic, but that does not necessarily mean he is against contraception- most active Catholics I know are totally opposed to the official Church stance on this.