We’ve opened a Scottish office of the Free Speech Union in response to the demand from our Scottish members. Free speech is under assault across the United Kingdom, but there appears to be even less tolerance for  dissenting, non-conformist views in Scotland than the rest of the U.K. (although Wales is not far behind). And it’s about to get a whole lot worse once the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act is activated. If you’re a Scottish resident being punished for exercising your right to free speech, please get in touch with our team who will be more than happy to assist.

Fraser Hudghton

Director of Case Managment & FSU Scotland
Scotland is known across the world as one of the bastions of the Enlightenment, boasting such intellectual giants as Adam Smith and David Hume. If we want to preserve that legacy, we need to make sure free speech is robustly protected. The opening of our Scottish office is a positive move and based on feedback from our members. I'm excited to be involved at the start of this process. As Director of Case Management at the Free Speech Union I see every day the unfairness that people are subject to across the UK at the hands of outrage mobs, often hiding behind a cloak of anonymity. There are specific challenges in Scotland with devolved legislation and it's vitally important Scots know that we are there to provide help when they need it the most.

If your right to free speech is being infringed or you are being penalised in some way for exercising your lawful right to free speech, please click the button below.

Thoughts From Our Scottish Advisory Council

‘Free speech in Scotland is under threat from laws open to being weaponised to censor legal speech emanating from both Holyrood and Westminster. The establishment of FSU Scotland is therefore timely and needed and I am delighted to join the Advisory Council.’
Joanna Cherry
QC and MP
‘In nearly twenty years of programming and writing in Scottish literary culture, I have never known an atmosphere so stifled, nor the precepts of freedom of expression so disregarded by individual writers and arts organisations alike. This does not need to be the case, and I dearly hope for robust discussion about re-energising Scotland’s literary landscape so that writers and thinkers are free to explore complex contemporary issues without fears of no-platforming, ostracisation, smearing and loss of livelihood.’
Jenny Lindsey
Writer and Poet

Scottish Related Posts

FSU Launches Scottish Office

The FSU opened its Edinburgh branch due to overwhelming demand from its Scottish members who are concerned that free speech is in peril north of
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Letter to the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh about Sir Geoff Palmer branding two senior Edinburgh academics “racist”

We have written to Professor Peter Mathieson, the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh, to complain about the University’s inadequate defence of Professor Emeritus Sir Tom
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Letter to St Andrews about the diversity training students have to undergo before they matriculate

We’ve written to Professor Sally Mapstone, the Vice-Chancellor of St Andrews, about the University’s insistence that all incoming students should receive diversity training and then
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Meet Our Scottish Advisory Council

Joanna Cherry QC MP

Scottish Advisory Council
An SNP MP since 2015, Joanna Cherry QC has served as Justice spokesperson for the SNP Group at Westminster and is a practising Scottish Advocate.

Puneet Dwivedi

Scottish Advisory Council
Puneet Dwivedi is a former Vice President for Scotland in the Hindu Forum Britain.

Murdo Fraser MSP

Scottish Advisory Council
Murdo Fraser has been MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife since 2001. He is currently the Scottish Conservatives spokesman on Covid Recovery, having previously held a variety of roles in the Party, including Deputy Leader.

Jamie Gillies

Scottish Advisory Council
Jamie Gillies was a leader of the Free To Disagree Campaign which led the opposition to the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill.

Brent Haywood

Scottish Advisory Council
Brent Haywood is a partner and solicitor advocate at Lindsays LLP. He has been in private practice for 30 years covering commercial disputes and public law. He was involved in the Judicial Review that saw some Coronavirus regulations in Scotland declared unlawful.

Peter Kearney

Scottish Advisory Council
Peter Kearney is the Director of Communications for the Catholic Church in Scotland.

Penny Lewis

Scottish Advisory Council
Penny Lewis is a Lecturer in Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Dundee.

Jenny Lindsay

Scottish Advisory Council
Jenny Lindsay is a writer, poet and performer, who is also an award-winning programmer of literary events. She won a John Byrne Award for Critical Thinking in 2020.

Iain Macwhirter

Scottish Advisory Council
Iain Macwhirter is an award-winning political columnist for the Herald and the author of several books including Disunited Kingdom. He is a former Rector of Edinburgh University.

Lindsay Paterson

Scottish Advisory Council
Lindsay Paterson is Professor of Education Policy at Edinburgh University.

Jim Sillars

Scottish Advisory Council
Jim Sillars has served as both a Labour and SNP MP and is a former Deputy Leader of the SNP.

Kapil Summan

Scottish Advisory Council
Kapil Summan is the editor of Scottish Legal News, a daily news service for lawyers.

Neil Thin

Scottish Advisory Council
Neil Thin is a Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology at Edinburgh University.

Adam Tomkins

Scottish Advisory Council
Adam Tomkins is a former Conservative MSP and has been the John Millar Chair in Public Law at the University of Glasgow since 2003.

Tom Burns

Scottish Advisory Council
Tom Burns is a full-time train driver and former ASLEF official.

Tom Walker

Scottish Advisory Council
Tom Walker is a doctor who campaigned for Brexit in the 2016 referendum.

Click below to join:

Contact the FSU

Before getting in touch please look at our Frequently Asked Questions, as that may answer the question you have. If you still want to get in touch, please use one of the email addresses below:

Help: If your right to free speech is being infringed or you are being penalised in some way for exercising your lawful right to free speech please email [email protected].

Technical support: [email protected]

Anything else: [email protected]

The Free Speech Union
85 Great Portland Street
London W1W 7LT
+44 (0)20 3920 7865