Durham students’ plan to shake off “Oxbridge rejects” tag… cancel formal dinners

Click here to read the article

Toby Young, the general secretary of the Free Speech Union, said: “All the old traditions the commission wants to do away with are what make Durham such a special place. A Durham cleansed of all its old-fashioned characteristics won’t appeal to anyone. You might as well pull down the old buildings, replace them with prefabs and call it Durham polytechnic.”

Ewan Somerville, The Telegraph, 24th May 2022.

Rail conductor sues West Midland Trains after being sacked for gross misconduct when he was overheard questioning “black privilege” during online diversity training

Click here to read the article

He is now taking the company to an employment tribunal, to be held in Watford on Thursday and Friday, suing for unfair dismissal. His case is backed by the Free Speech Union.

Jack Wright, MailOnline, 5th May 2022.

Rail conductor sues after he was sacked for questioning “black privilege”

Click here to read the article

His case is backed by the Free Speech Union which has drafted in leading civil liberties barrister Paul Diamond to represent him, a barrister who has fought landmark cases in the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights.

Ewan Somerville, The Telegraph, 4th May 2022.

UK’s new attack on free speech as TCW fights censorship

Click here to read the article

The Free Speech Union is backing our demand to find out why we have been targeted, for which we are very grateful.

Kathy Gyngell, TCW, 4th May 2022.

Elon Musk Twitter takeover dubbed ‘dangerous’ as critics question free speech claims

Click here to read the article

Toby Young, Director General of the Free Speech Union, agreed, labelling Musk in a comment for Express.co.uk a “steely-eyed free speech warrior” and outlining his hope that Twitter is taken back to what it was originally: “The free speech wing of the free speech party.”

Michael Curzon, The Daily Express, 30th April 2022.

Salmond’s university snub “breached human rights”

Click here to read the article

In a letter to Professor George Boyne, the university’s principal and vice-chancellor, the Free Speech Union campaign group said “no-platforming Salmond was contrary to Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights”. This defines freedom of expression as including the “freedom to hold opinions and receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority”, Toby Young, the union’s general secretary, said. “The students who were planning to attend Mr Salmond’s talk had a right to hear what he was going to say,” Young said. “By cancelling the talk the university golf club was interfering with that right.”

Jeremy Watson, The Times, 30th April 2022.

The police have gone full Orwell

Click here to read the article

This week, Mills finally had his NCHI removed from his record by Kent Police, thanks to the efforts of the Free Speech Union. But while any individual victory like this is welcome, speech will not be truly free in the UK until NCHIs are abolished along with our censorious laws.

Charlie Peters, Spiked, 27th April 2022.

Toby Young: Free speech includes the right to be offensive, Mr Speaker

Click here to read the article

When telling MPs on Monday that he had summoned the editor of the Mail on Sunday to his office for a dressing down, the Speaker of the House of Commons prefaced his announcement by saying he took the issue of press freedom ‘very seriously’.

Toby Young, Conservative Home, 27th April 2022.

Five more years of that Brexit-bashing Boris-baiting enfant terrible Emmanuel Macron? Zut alors!

Click here to read the article

POLICE KENT BE SERIOUS: Thankfully, the Free Speech Union – whose board I am on – took up Mills’ case. And this week it was confirmed Kent Police had cleaned Mills’ record. Meaning he no longer stands guilty of this non-crime.

Douglas Murray, The Sun, 25th April 2022.

Elon Musk TAKES OVER Twitter – billionaire agrees historic deal with social media giant

Click here to read the article

The Free Speech Union added following the news: “We look forward to an overhaul of the social media company’s content moderation policies so it becomes possible for users to challenge prevailing orthodoxies, whether about the participation of transwomen in women’s sports or the effectiveness of the Covid vaccines, without running the risk of being no-platformed.”

Michael Curzon, The Daily Express, 25th April 2022.

In the Media

Articles That Mention the Free Speech Union

Durham students’ plan to shake off “Oxbridge rejects” tag… cancel formal dinners

Rail conductor sues West Midland Trains after being sacked for gross misconduct when he was overheard questioning “black privilege” during online diversity training

Rail conductor sues after he was sacked for questioning “black privilege”

UK’s new attack on free speech as TCW fights censorship

Elon Musk Twitter takeover dubbed ‘dangerous’ as critics question free speech claims

Salmond’s university snub “breached human rights”

The police have gone full Orwell

Toby Young: Free speech includes the right to be offensive, Mr Speaker

Five more years of that Brexit-bashing Boris-baiting enfant terrible Emmanuel Macron? Zut alors!

Elon Musk TAKES OVER Twitter – billionaire agrees historic deal with social media giant

Join Our Community

Quick Links

Organisation Address

Welcome to the Free Speech Union