Police log more non-crime hate incidents despite crackdown

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The data, provided to the Free Speech Union, revealed some forces recorded big increases including Staffordshire (140 per cent), North Yorkshire (65 per cent), Gwent (63 per cent), Suffolk (35 per cent) and North Wales (33 per cent). Toby Young, general secretary of the Free Speech Union, said the figures suggested the “message had not got through” to some forces that the recording of such incidents represented an interference with people’s free speech.

Charles Hymas, The Telegraph, 2nd September 2024.

THOUGHT CRIME Home Secretary Yvette Cooper threatened with court action over free speech curbs

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Toby Young, the director of the Free Speech Union, has written to the Home Sec warning he will launch legal action if she pushes ahead with her plan. Mr Young said: “The idea that forcing the police to spend more time investigating ‘non-crime’ is going to reduce actual crime is bonkers. Burglars and car thieves will have a free hand, knowing the police are too busy reading our tweets to police our streets.”

Kate Ferguson, The Sun, 31st August 2024.

Jewish groups welcome proposed hate crime measures despite concerns over free speech

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Toby Young, director of the Free Speech Union (FSU), a membership organisation that campaigns for free speech, told the JC that despite the instruction by Suella Braverman to only record non-crime hate incidents sparingly, police had not slowed down. He claimed that, according to data from the FSU, since 2014 around a quarter of a million non-crime hate incidents had been recorded – more than 65 a day.

Lorin Bell-Cross, The Jewish Chronicle, 30th August 2024.

The return of non-crime hate incidents

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We mustn’t let it get away with this and if the Home Secretary really does encourage the police to start acting unlawfully again, the Free Speech Union will mount another legal challenge.

Freddie Attenborough, The Critic, 30th August 2024.

UK 1984: Leftist Labour Gov’t to Encourage Police to Mass Record ‘Non-Crime Hate Incidents’: Report

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However, the plans have drawn pushback, including from the Free Speech Union (FSU), which noted that despite hundreds of thousands of non-crime hate incidents being recorded by police, they have not provided evidence that the practice prevented any actual crimes.

Kurt Zindulka, Breitbart, 29th August 2024.

Planet Normal: Toby Young warns of “chilling” crackdown on free speech

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“Keir Starmer has been encouraging the authorities to prosecute people for supposedly whipping up violence on social media.”

On the latest Planet Normal podcast, which you can listen to using the audio player above, columnists Liam Halligan and Allison Pearson speak to Toby Young, founder of the Free Speech Union, about the prosecutions related to social media posts in the wake of recent riots. 

Allison Pearson, Liam Halligan, Isabelle Bougeard, The Telegraph, 29th August 2024.

Yvette Cooper accused of suggesting everyone arrested over riots is guilty

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Yvette Cooper has been accused of suggesting that everyone arrested in connection with the riots is guilty. Campaigners have urged the Home Secretary to order the deletion of a tweet from the Home Office’s official account which referred to more than 1,000 people detained by the police as “criminals”. In a letter to Ms Cooper, the Free Speech Union raised concerns that the post on X, formerly known as Twitter, risked prejudicing the trials of those yet to appear in court.

Nick Gutteridge, The Telegraph, 22nd August 2024.

Government dropped free speech law after universities feared for China interests

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Responding to a legal challenge from the Free Speech Union (FSU), government lawyers noted that “concerns” had been raised with them about the “consequences for delivering English [higher education] in foreign countries which have restrictions on free speech”.

Camilla Turner, The Telegraph, 24th August 2024.

Council quashes Public Spaces Protection Order to be redrafted following threat of legal challenge

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A Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) approved by Thanet council in July has now been rescinded following a threat of costly legal action by the Free Speech Union. Cabinet members made the decision at a meeting last night (August 22) following recommendations by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel that the council’s proposed Alcohol and Antisocial Behaviour PSPO be re-considered.

Kathy Bailes, The Isle of Thanet News, 23rd August 2024.

Thanet District Council ditches PSPO including fines for swearing amid legal threat that new rules could ‘breach free speech’

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But the local authority has now revoked its new Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) after the Free Speech Union (FSU) threatened to make it the subject of a judicial review battle in the High Court, after cabinet members met to discuss the issue tonight.
The FSU opposed the council’s new order on the grounds it could prevent a person’s right to protest peacefully due to “too vague and too broad” parameters about how they could express discontent.

James Pallant, Kent Online, 22nd August 2024.