The choir Singing Striders had its invitation to perform at the London Marathon rescinded by disability charity Scope. The reason for the last-minute cancellation was the founding member Janet Murray's gender-critical beliefs. Following public backlash, Scope reinstated the invitation — but by that point, the choir had decided to go it alone.
FSU Campaigns Officer Max Thompson writes in The Telegraph that Britain’s failure to implement the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act is a national embarrassment, with the country now ranking 64th in the world for academic freedom — below Burkina Faso and Malawi.
Sir Stephen Mitchell, a former High Court judge, has called the Government’s jury trial reforms “a form of legislative vandalism” and urged the judiciary to speak out against what he describes as the most serious assault on English liberty in 800 years.
An NHS trust has told staff to stop using everyday phrases like "it's raining cats and dogs" for fear of offending foreign patients — part of a pattern of language policing that the FSU warns may be driving experienced staff out of the NHS.
Former deputy leader of the Green Party, Dr Shahrar Ali, tells the FSU Podcast that the party has been captured by Islamists and is a danger to society.
Former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland warns that David Lammy’s jury trial reforms will expose judges to physical attacks and undermine judicial independence.
Reform UK councillor Steve Horner faced a series of vexatious code-of-conduct complaints after standing up for residents online. The Free Speech Union helped him beat every one.
An RAF cadet has been suspended from officer training at RAF Cranwell after stating that Islam was the ‘greatest threat’ to Britain — further evidence that a de facto Islamic blasphemy law has become embedded within British institutions.
Royal Holloway and FSU-backed student Brodie Mitchell have reached a settlement in their free speech dispute, with the university making a goodwill payment and acknowledging it could have communicated more clearly.
The FSU welcomes Bridget Phillipson’s decision to introduce the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act’s complaints scheme — a partial victory following the legal challenge the FSU brought against the Education Secretary’s decision to pause the Act.
A new Economist Educational Foundation survey finds nearly a quarter of 15- to 17-year-olds have held back their political views for fear of being ‘cancelled’ — with one in four also told to stop sharing opinions at school.
Connie Shaw was nearly expelled from the University of Leeds for expressing gender-critical beliefs — including ‘the offence’ of saying it was an honour to interview Graham Linehan. The Free Speech Union helped her beat the charges.
