Daily Stormer The Most Censored Publication in History
Telegraph
April 12, 2014
After he picked up an £80,000 prize for an essay on how Britain could leave the European Union, Iain Mansfield was poised to become a new, intellectual voice in the media debate on the issue.
The 30-year-old Cambridge graduate was praised by judges of the “Brexit” prize for his “convincing and comprehensive” arguments and the Thatcherite think-tank behind the contest looked forward to him advancing his views in a series of interviews.
There was one snag, however. Mr Mansfield is a civil servant and his essay appears to have been rather too well-argued for his employer, the UK Government, which remains committed to staying within the EU.
Having accepted the prize at a ceremony in Westminster on Tuesday evening, Mr Mansfield was told he was banned from giving media interviews. His regular blog on economic affairs also appears to have been removed from the internet.
“Unfortunately, owing to his work commitments and the sensitivity of his role, Iain Mansfield is unable to engage in any further media work on his winning Brexit entry,” the Institute of Economic Affairs, which organised the prize, said. The move came despite Mr Mansfield making it clear that he had written the essay in a personal capacity, and was advancing the arguments as an intellectual exercise rather than as a policy recommendation.
He had also obtained prior clearance from his employers at the British Embassy in Manila, where he is director of trade and investment. A source told The Telegraph on Thursday night that Mr Mansfield had ended up in a “spot of bother” with his superiors over the essay, and had been put in “lockdown” until further notice.
The move dismayed the IEA which had hoped that the prize-winning entrants would be able to contribute to the Brexit debate through media appearances.
