Swire pinched the first part of Claire Wright’s election slogan (“free to speak, free to act”) in recent press coverage about his recent demotion to the back benches but, tellingly, he did not pinch the second part.

Swire is NOT, of course, free to act. He is bound by the devices and desires of his national party policies and subject to a very firm whip to ensure that he behaves himself now and in the future.

It rather circumscribes his ” freedom”.