Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

The point is that principles need to be applied consistently, or they are not principles at all.

Which brings me to the row about comedian Jimmy Carr.

He’s in hot water after a tasteless ‘gag’ about gypsies.

Controversial comic Roy 'Chubby' Brown had his show axed at Sheffield City Hall and now there are calls for Jimmy Carr's upcoming show to be cancelled too. (Photo: Getty)

He made light of the murder of hundreds of thousands of gypsies, who died alongside Jews in the Nazi death camps.

It’s hard to balance free speech and what should, and should not, be uttered by a comedian.

But surely some things are off-limits? Joking about the Holocaust would be a pretty obvious category, in most people’s view.

Carr is due to appear at City Hall next month and there are already calls for him to be banned.

The Star's anonymous political columnist Vulcan wades into the debate about whether or not comedian Jimmy Carr should be allowed to perform in Sheffield, following offensive comments made about the Holocaust.

Of course, that’s what happened to Roy ‘Chubby’ Brown, whose show was cancelled last October by Sheffield City Trust, which runs the City Hall.

Councillors backed the move, saying his act was ‘gratuitously offensive’.

So, what is to happen with Jimmy Carr?

If the City Hall and our councillors are to be consistent, surely his booking should be withdrawn too?

So far, there has been radio silence.

Even though everyone from Boris Johnson to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust has queued up to criticise Carr.

Last time around, Labour MP for Hillsborough, Gill Furniss, described the Chubby Brown ban as ‘the right thing to do’.

She said there was ‘no place for any hate-filled performance in our diverse and welcoming city’.

This time she does not appear to have said a word about Carr.

Surely his ‘offence’ is worse that Chubby’s, so why the double standard?

Is it because we are in the run-up to the local elections and councillors don’t want to be drawn into a row about defending gypsies?

You see, it’s the last official taboo.

A recent study by Birmingham University showed that gypsies and travellers are the most despised group in British society. Nearly half the country hostile to them, including 41 per cent of Labour voters.

Our civic leaders are fond of referring to Sheffield as a ‘city of sanctuary,’ but it rings a bit hollow if you pick and choose which groups you back.

Jimmy Carr and Roy Chubby Brown: Sheffield Council needs to be consistent in its outrage