Letters

Letters We’ve Written Defending People’s Right to Free Speech

Letter to the National Education Union to express concern about a draft document which contains the NEU’s proposal to redefine the word ‘transphobia’ 

We’ve written to the National Education Union, Britain’s largest teaching union, after a whistleblower leaked a document to us containing the NEU’s proposed definition of ‘transphobia’ which it looks likely to adopt. The definition is so wide, it would mean any teacher that challenges the transrights activist agenda would be labelled a ‘transphobe’. You can read about this letter – and the NEU’s reaction to it – in the Telegraph.

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Letter to YouTube About its Censorship of Russell Brand

We’ve written to YouTube about its removal of a video by Russell Brand, allegedly for breaching its Covid-19 medical misinformation policy. We’ve argued that since YouTube is clearly exercising public functions, it is subject to Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights and, as such, this is an unlawful interference with Mr Brand’s freedom of expression. In addition, we’ve argued that this censorship is a breach of his

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Letter to the Metropolitan Police concerning the arrest of Hatun Tash

Hatun Tash, the evangelical Christian preacher and member of the Free Speech Union, was arrested at Speakers’ Corner on Sunday, the third time she’s been arrested in two years. She was dragged off by a group of police officers, taken to Charing Cross police station, strip searched, interviewed, kept overnight in a cell and then released without charge. To cap it all, the day she was released – Monday, 27th

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Letter to Nadim Zahawi MP and Michelle Donelan MP thanking them for introducing two vital amendments we campaigned for to the Higher Education Bill

We’ve written to the Education Secretary and the Universities Minister to thank them for introducing two amendments that we campaigned for – removing the caveat “within their field of expertise” from Clause 1, so the new free speech protections apply to academics regardless of whether their speaking or writing about something within their field of expertise or not, and making it harder for “security costs” to be cited by universities

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Letter to the Vice Chancellor of Loughborough University about the expulsion of Dr Jon Pike from a seminar for expressing gender critical views

We’ve written to the Vice-Chancellor of Loughborough University, Professor Nick Jennings, after our member, Dr Jon Pike of the Open University, was removed from a seminar on ‘trans inclusion in women’s sport’ for asking questions about the fairness of allowing biological men to compete against female athletes. Dr Pike is a world-leading expert in this area and his expertise has been sought by numerous international sports bodies. We consider this

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Letter to the Vice Chancellor of Aberdeen about the no-platforming of Alex Salmond

We’ve written to Professor George Boyne, the Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen, about the no-platforming of Alex Salmond on 22nd April. Mr Salmond had been invited to speak at the Aberdeen University Student Golf Club, but the invitation was rescinded after student activists objected that because Mr Salmond is opposed to Scotland’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill – which will make it easier for trans people to

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