The Home Office tells me that the government "opposes the entry of individuals to the UK where their presence is not conducive to the public good or where they have been found guilty of serious criminal offences abroad.”
Obviously, this American celebrity cook and home-maker is more of a danger to national security than Abu-Qatada or the many other jihad-loving, democracy-hating mullahs still in our midst.
Martha Stewart's crime was not just insider dealing (for which almost nobody is convicted in this country, even though it happens everyday) but trying to cover it up, which is more serious. But she's paid her debt to society, as they say, and it's hard to see how holding a tea and book signing session at Harrods would be "not conducive to the public good".
It's not for me to get involved in whether she should or should not be allowed in -- though I do think the government should take more account of my social life when it takes these decisions -- but Britain could be a loser from the bar.
This was a business trip. She was coming here with her crew to film a series of segments for her much-watched American TV show, including a visit to the Wedgwood potteries in Stoke-on-Trent. Wedgwood is the sole manufacturer of her fine china collection, which she promotes in her shows. She was also scheduled to film segments at the Chelsea Physic Garden, Daylesford Organic Farm Store and at Petersham House.
At a time when unemployment is rising and the weak dollar is deterring US tourists from visiting these shores, the country could have had a bit of a boost from a visit from Martha Stewart. But at least we'll sleep more soundly knowing that a foreign cook/interior designer with a conviction for making false statements isn't on the loose.