'You should just be able to make up your own mind

Dame Maureen rails against activists’ cancel culture

- Ross Kaniuk

DAME Maureen Lipman has blasted activists who try to impose their judgment of what people can watch and read.

She accused them of trying to cut down JK Rowling over her transgender views, despite the Harry Potter author's success in encouraging millions of youngsters to read more.

And she attacked authors for hypocrisy when they seek to blacklist Israel while allowing sales in China and Russia.

The Coronation Street star said: "Very few artists have had the most moral of lives.

"I think you should just be able to make up your own mind. And if you want to be able to listen to Wagner (Hitler's favourite composer, regarded as antisemitic) I think you should be able to go. I think they play Wagner in Israel...[conductor] Daniel Barenboim decided to do that.

"There's all this ridiculous non-platforming of JK Rowling, who taught all our children to be literate. We are living in a time when activists are ruling what we can see."