The veteran Labour delegate who was yesterday ejected from the conference hall for heckling received a hero’s welcome when he returned this morning, and won an apology from the platform by John Reid.

Walter Wolfgang came back to a warm reception from rank and file at the Brighton conference, and warned the party “you can’t stifle debate by hiring heavies”.

Tony Blair this morning apologised to the 82-year-old, a Jewish refugee from the Nazis, who was physically ejected from the conference hall yesterday and refused readmission under the prevention of terrorism act.

I guess Brits are learning the core value of anti-heresy laws like the Patriot Act.

Speaking alongside fellow evictee Steve Forrest as he arrived, Mr Wolfgang appeared overwhelmed by the press attention, and called the affair “a small issue” compared with the invasion of Iraq and the forthcoming decision on renewing Trident.

But he said he would not be silenced. “Most stewards are Labour party volunteers, and the cream of the Labour party,” he said. “But you can’t stifle debate by hiring heavies.”

Mr Wolfgang is a long-standing opponent of nuclear weapons. Kate Hudson, chairwoman of CND, said: “Walter was merely expressing his frustration and anger, which is shared by many people across the country.

“For simply shouting out ‘nonsense’ the full force of the law came down on him and he was detained under the terrorism laws.

“We have great concerns about freedom of speech in this country and this kind of thing only makes it worse.

Debate and freedom of thought and expression are always the first victim of laws defining “patriotism”.