What happened to free speech?

So the government wants Ministers who are climate change sceptics to shut up and instead repeat the party line. They also want the BBC to have to ask for special  dispensation to interview them and air their views. I thought for a moment it was an April Fools trick, but no - it was in The Times on April 2nd. There are scientific 'facts' on both sides of the debate. The powers that be did the same to those who dared to say that the Earth revolved around the Sun.