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Abse V. Alice - Hypocrisy?

LEO ABSE, the M.P. for Pontypool, is another of those individuals clearly bent on restricting the public's freedom of choice. He announced last week plans to revoke Alice Cooper's entry permit for his forthcoming Britsh tour.

Not to be outdone, Mary Whitehouse's National Viewers and Listeners Association eagerly climbed aboard the Abse bandwagon - completely overlooking the fact that Cooper has no plans for a British tour in the immediate future and has not even applied for an entry permit.

Seems that Abse objects to Cooper's "commercial exploitation of masochism" - including his bizarre make-up, smashing up of toy babies, mock executions and tangling with a snake. If these are his main worries, maybe he should also try to ban Punch and Judy, whose show has included the same features for decades past.

As it happens nothing further had been heard at Press time of Abse's Parlimentary clarion call - persumably because the Commons have been too busy contemplating their own internal sex scandal. Which should be an indication to Abse that, before criticising others, he should see that his own House is in order.