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Following a backlash, Scotland Yard has decided it is not “proportionate” to pursue the investigation. And rightly so. As Toby Young of the Free Speech Union, which was backing Grimes and Starkey, observed, “The only hatred David Starkey stirred up was against himself”.
Spiked, 21st October 2020.
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Scotland Yard has decided it is not ‘proportionate’ after a backlash over freedom of speech.
Hayley Dixon, The Daily Telegraph, 21st October 2020.
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Responding to the news today, Baroness Fox tweeted: “Sweet victory. For once a victory for free speech, press freedom and common sense. And it couldn’t have happened without a genuine public outcry as well as support of the Free Speech Union. Very pleased for you Darren Grimes, but even more pleased for all of us and the cause of liberty.”
Jack Wright and James Fielding, MailOnline, 21st October 2020.
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Toby Young of the Free Speech Union, who helped Darren fight back tells Guido: “I’m delighted for Darren Grimes and David Starkey, but things might have turned out very differently if they hadn’t been members of the Free Speech Union. The police and the CPS need to stop abusing the law to try and regulate speech and debate. It’s not their job to investigate thought crimes.”
Guido Fawkes, 21st October 2020.
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[Free Speech Union] general secretary, Toby Young, told MailOnline: “I’m afraid this vile abuse is typical of the way conservative students are treated in universities every day. Universities need to do more to educate their students about the importance of free speech and tolerating different points of view. Too often, university authorities exhibit the same intolerance towards conservatives, putting them through disciplinary processes and accusing them of ‘hate speech’ just for daring to challenge woke orthodoxies about race and gender.”
Jack Wright, MailOnline, 16th October 2020.
“By the way I’d be lost if it wasn’t for the Free Speech Union. What a fantastic idea – and quite an important one, as it turns out.”
Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster interview Darren Grimes, Triggonometry, 12th October 2020.
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Toby Young, general secretary of the Free Speech Union, who has supported Mr Grimes, said he was alarmed that the police embarked on the “witch-hunt”. He said: “Dr David Starkey’s words never came anywhere near meeting the threshold for stirring up racial hatred, let alone Darren Grimes’s decision to broadcast them. If you don’t stick up for the speech rights of contrarians – even those who offend people – the authorities will eventually come after you.”
Fiona Hamilton and Emma Yeomans, The Times, 15th October 2020.
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Reading between the lines it looks like the Met are looking to get off this high horse without losing face. Though Darren is naturally cautious after the twists and turns of his 4 year battle with the Electoral Commission. The Free Speech Union was able to find a top criminal solicitor to defend Darren and helped galvanise support across the media and in Government. Toby Young, general secretary of the Free Speech Union, tells Guido that he is “relieved that this is over, but alarmed that the police embarked on this witch-hunt in the first place. Starkey’s words never came anywhere near meeting the threshold for stirring up racial hatred, let alone Darren Grime’s decision to broadcast them.”
Guido Fawkes, 15th October 2020.
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Toby Young, general secretary of the Free Speech Union, said: “I’m relieved that this is over, but alarmed that the police embarked on this witch-hunt in the first place… Everyone should be defending the right to free speech, not just those on the frontline. If you don’t stick up for the speech rights of contrarians – even those who offend people – the authorities will eventually come after you.”
Luke May and Jack Wright, MailOnline, 15th October 2020.
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The Free Speech Union has found a top criminal solicitor to represent Darren, who’s a member of the FSU, in the form of Luke Gittos, who is so outraged by this attack on free speech that he has taken on the case pro bono. He says: “This is an unprecedented use of public order legislation to target a member of the broadcast media. It should concern anyone who believes in freedom of the press.”
Toby Young, The Sunday Telegraph, 11th October 2020.
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