How many times do I have to say that I think the man was foolish before you take off your blinkers, Michael? What do you suppose I mean when I say that?

There are times when confronting bad laws on principle is appropriate. It was appropriate to refuse to pay the poll tax. It's appropriate to protest against nuclear weapons by chaining yourself to a perimeter fence. I don't think the old boy was taking a stand against a bad law. I think he was trying to get round it, a bit like me and my haste on the A30 yesterday. There is a difference. He was a bit of an idiot for risking it. Are you happy now? If you think that there's an unpleasant whiff about a fellow who furtively tries to possess a bit of home brew, think of the whiff coming from hundreds of public beheadings carried out every year. We're revolted to the rafters, rightly so, when ISIS do it a couple of times a year. But the Saudis? Well, the oil and WMDS appear to make us set aside all our principles, don't they? Anyway, back to your letter-writing. The Times, eh? What's that I smell...