In the Media

Articles That Mention the Free Speech Union

EXCLUSIVE: Major British building society admits it IS closing accounts of people who “are rude or discriminate” amid uproar as banks are accused of dumping customers including Nigel Farage over their views on Brexit and LGBT issues

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Journalist Toby Young, of the Free Speech Union, told Mr Farage on GB News last night that he was contacted by a Yorkshire Building Society customer who claimed he asked why their branches were festooned with Pride flags. The bank allegedly replied that his account would be closed down.

Martin Robinson, Daily Mail, 30th June 2023.

After my banking travails, I fear Britain is lost

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Beware: if they are coming for me today, they can come for you tomorrow. If you were to post a political opinion on social media that did not conform to your bank’s “values”, you could find yourself in my position. This happened to a gentleman recently who questioned why his bank was celebrating Pride. He is now being advised by the Free Speech Union.

Nigel Farage, The Telegraph, 30th June 2023.

Colonel “forced out of Army” after stating “men cannot be women”

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Toby Young, general secretary of the Free Speech Union, said: “The way in which Dr Wright has been treated is absolutely disgraceful. The freedom to express your views in the public square is a fundamental human right that the British Army is supposed to be defending, not attacking.”
“Continuing to hound him following his resignation just adds insult to injury. The Army should apologise, thank him for his service and close the case.”

Ewan Somerville, The Telegraph, 29th June 2023.

Young’s First Law of free speech

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I’ve always been envious of journalists who give their names to ‘laws’, as in O’Sullivan’s First Law: ‘All organisations that are not actually right-wing will over time become left-wing.’ So I’m going to take a stab at articulating Young’s First Law and it is this: ‘The more progressive a country is when it comes to sex and gender, the more authoritarian it is when it comes to speech and language.’

Toby Young, The Spectator, 28th June 2023.

Orthodox Christian teachers are on the chopping block

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But according to the General Secretary of the Free Speech Union (FSU), Toby Young, the challenges Christian teachers are already facing could loom considerably larger under Labour.
He told Christian Today: “I think it’s likely Labour will bring forward a Hate Crime and Public Order (England and Wales) Bill, which will be very similar to the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act. It will increase the number of protected groups you can be prosecuted for ‘stirring up’ hatred against to include trans-identifying people and that will make it a criminal offence to misgender or deadname trans individuals.”

Julian Mann, Christian Today, 22nd June 2023.

How one woman took on the DWP and won

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The Free Speech Union was able to help Anna. Specialist employment barrister Spencer Keen provided tremendously generous help (with yours truly doing the donkey work), and formidable grounds of claim were submitted to the Employment Tribunal alleging unfair dismissal, automatic unfair dismissal for whistleblowing, victimisation, belief and race discrimination, and harassment.

Bryn Harris, The Critic, 1st June 2023.