Following the release by the government of the draft text of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill, this briefing outlines why the Bill is welcome, links to the evidence showing why it’s necessary, including some of the free speech cases in universities we’ve been involved with, and addresses the most common criticisms against it.

Published June 2021.

Following the release by the Government of the draft text of its Online Safety Bill, this Free Speech Union briefing outlines why the legislation is a danger to online free speech.

Published May 2021.

The Government’s planned Online Safety Bill is intended to make the internet “safer”, but the Bill is a threat to our freedom of speech. It will lead to the censorship of speech that is legal offline, with companies obliged to remove material for dangerously vague reasons like an “adverse” psychological impact.

Published April 2021.

This is a 10-point manifesto for this year’s local elections. These ten policies would immediately improve the state of freedom of speech in the UK. The FSU would like to see these policies adopted by every party in this election and beyond. The FSU does not endorse any political party or candidates.

Published March 2021.

Non-Crime Hate Incidents (NCHIs) are a recent and chilling restriction of our free speech. Public awareness of NCHIs has grown since police recorded Harry Miller (in 2019) and Darren Grimes (in 2020) as having committed such “incidents”.

Published March 2021.

The Law Commission of England and Wales has proposed a number of changes to the law on hate crime that have been described as the Scottish Hate Crime Bill on steroids.

Published November 2020.