Britain’s Labour government is defining Islamophobia in law. Not, it rushes to assure everyone, that there will be the slightest risk to free speech. All it is doing is codifying guidelines.

Well, it took all of 45 minutes after the publication of the new definition for an MP to demand that it be used to silence his critics. Iqbal Mohamed, elected as a “pro-Gaza independent,” wanted “sanctions” against the “escalating hostility” of what MPs said about Muslims.