As can be imagined, when four brothers and one of their sons meet in the place of birth of two of them, there are some heated discussions. This was true in Bognor this week.

I try to avoid topics of politics and religion when it comes to family, especially if one wishes to remain friends. But inevitably we had some political discussions about democracy, world citizenship and immigration – which I think are generally a good thing.

I disagreed on many points but I argued to general agreement that there must be freedom of thought, speech and action if one is to live in a free society. I recalled the quotation attributed to the 18th-century writer Voltaire: ‘I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it’.

Given how authoritarian and totalitarian many societies have become, such sentiments have never been truer.