Podcasts about free speech union

That's Debatable!' is the weekly podcast of the Free Speech Union. Hosts Tom Harris and Jan MacVarish – both staffers at the FSU – talk about the free speech controversies that have erupted in the past week. Please like, subscribe and share. This week, the Free Speech Union's Education and Events Director Jan Macvarish takes the steering wheel as Tom Harris is away. She is joined by the Free Speech Union's Case Management Officer Lynsey Metcalfe to discuss some research Lynsey is conducting into the free speech issues that arise in schools. It will be published in the coming months on the FSU website. Lynsey and Jan also refer to last week's book launch for Andrew Doyle's The End of Woke, the video of which has already been watched thousands of times and can be viewed here. A video from the FSU/Women's Rights Network event held last weekend in Manchester with Akua Reindorf KC that is also mentioned will be posted on our You Tube channel by the end of the week. That's Debatable!' is edited by Jason Clift.

Jonathan Ayling, Chief Executive of the Free Speech Union (New Zealand) has worked in Wellington for 8 years across roles as a Beehive staffer, senior political advisor, and in the NGO sector. Tune in as controversial writer and podcast host, Damien Grant, interviews a wide selection of interesting and entertaining individuals, authors, business people, politicians and anyone else actually willing to talk to him.

Julian Foulkes, a retired Special Constable, was arrested and held in a cell for eight hours over a tweet warning about the threat to British Jews posed by the pro-Palestinian marches. In October of 2023, he responded to another tweet criticising Suella Braverman for describing the pro-Palestinian protests that were sweeping the country in the aftermath of the massacre in Southern Israel as ‘hate marches'. As reported in the Telegraph, the day after someone complained about Julian's tweet, six police officers turned up at his home, ransacked the premises, arrested him, detained him for eight hours and gave him a caution. Julian retained the services of a solicitor and, with his help, got Kent Police to admit they'd made a mistake and delete the caution from his record. Julian, who has now joined the Free Speech Union, is now going to sue the force for wrongful arrest, as well as unlawful interference in his right to liberty. You can contribute to Julian's crowdfunder here. We move on to discuss two ways in which the FSU has stepped in to help with free expression events: the Lewes Speakers Festival on Friday 9th May and the re-platforming of the ‘Licence to Offend' cartoon exhibition. There is good news to report in the world of football where Cerys Vaughan has spoken out about her Kafkaesque trial after asking a transgender opponent: “Are you a man?”. Following a three-month battle, an appeal board of the FA quashed the ruling against her in a damning – and alarming – judgment on the original proceedings. As reported in the Telegraph, the written reasons state: she had not received a fair hearing during a three-hour video call that left her in tears; proper consideration had not been given to her age or the evidence against her; and she was wrongly found guilty “by own admission” when she had denied the charges. We end with an update on our event with Andrew Doyle on the 29th May, which is now both in-person and online. ‘That's Debatable!'  is edited by Jason Clift.

Revisit Dr. James Lindsays talk from the Wellington event of his New Zealand tour with the Free Speech Union. Dr. Lindsay shares his thoughts, fears and concerns about the rising treats of “woke” on the right and the communist and socialist undertones driving woeness, cancel culture and various attacks on western liberal democracy. Support the showhttps://www.fsu.nz/https://x.com/NZFreeSpeechhttps://www.instagram.com/freespeechnz/https://www.tiktok.com/@freespeechunionnz

Luke Johnson joins Chris Snowdon and Tom Slater for the latest episode of Last Orders, the spiked podcast all about freedom and the nanny state. They discuss why so many pubs are closing down, the galaxy-brained plan to ban cigarette filters and what Trump's tariffs will mean for the world.  Get your ticket for Brendan O'Neill's next live podcast, where he'll be joined by the brilliant Julia Hartley-Brewer, on Tuesday 15 April at 7pm BST. Sign up here: https://www.spiked-online.com/events/  Tom will be speaking at the Free Speech Union event, ‘Policing the streets vs policing our tweets', in Belfast on Friday 11 April. Get tickets: https://freespeechunion.org/event/belfast-speakeasy-policing-the-streets-vs-policing-our-tweets/ Listen, share and give us a glowing review on your podcast app. Also, send your postbag questions to lastorders@spiked-online.com and we'll try to answer them in a future episode. Read spiked: https://www.spiked-online.com/   Support spiked: https://www.spiked-online.com/support/ 

Candice Holdsworth, Tom Slater and Fraser Myers discuss ‘Liberation Day', Trump's free-speech imperialism, banning Marine Le Pen and Keir Starmer's perpetual Adolescence. Get your ticket for Brendan O'Neill's next live podcast, where he'll be joined by the brilliant Julia Hartley-Brewer, on Tuesday 15 April at 7pm BST. Sign up here: https://www.spiked-online.com/events/  Tom will be speaking at the Free Speech Union event, ‘Policing the streets vs policing our tweets', in Belfast on Friday 11 April. Get tickets: https://freespeechunion.org/event/belfast-speakeasy-policing-the-streets-vs-policing-our-tweets/ Looking to give AG1 a shot? If you want to support your health seven mornings a week, start with AG1. Subscribe now and get a FREE bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 AND five free AG1 Travel Packs with your first subscription. Go to drinkAG1.com/spiked to get started today. Take your business to the next level with Shopify. Sign up now and get a £1-per-month trial period: https://shopify.co.uk/spiked 

Jamie's FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... Jamie on Chris Thrall channel:    • JAILED For A FACEBOOK Post - War Vete...  Jailed for a Facebook Post - War Veterans Horror Story. In this gripping interview, we explore the shocking story of an Ex-Royal Marine jailed for a social media post. This case highlights the UK free speech crackdown and the dangers of social media censorship, as veterans and citizens alike face increasing restrictions on freedom of expression. Following the Southport murders aftermath, authorities took drastic action, leading to a Facebook prosecution that many see as politically motivated. Is this another example of veterans betrayed by the very country they served? We examine the British justice system, the role of the Public Order Act, and whether UK government overreach is silencing dissent. With rising concerns about political persecution, the Free Speech Union has weighed in on the growing number of social media arrests under vague and inconsistent laws. Many critics argue that two-tier policing unfairly targets individuals while ignoring others, raising fresh questions about Labour Party criticism of free speech and government policies. As tensions mount after the UK riots 2024, we discuss how new online speech laws are being used against military veterans and civilians alike. Does this case set a dangerous precedent for veteran rights? And what does it say about the state of democracy in Britain today? Join us as we uncover the truth behind the shocking case of Jamie Michael, the growing impact of social media laws, and what this means for the future of free speech in the UK. Jamie's FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... #news #uk #speech

Waning trust in media alongside a failure to uphold standards and whitewashed investigations has NZ outlets in a bad spot. We discuss the examples of negative framing for Tamatha Paul's comments about police, and the direct engagement between media leadership and far-right astro-turf groups. When will NZ political and media leadership pull in line with the electorate and reject the accelerating fascism in the US under Trump?This episode's co-hostsSimone, Oliver, Kyle, GinnyTimestamps0:00 Opening1:30 On Gaza 9:14 RNZ Investigation14:18 Media Trust17:20 Prison Systems26:56 Discourse Machine 38:00 The Free Speech Union and NZME43:00 Bail Act48:13 Americanizing NZ53:18 ClosingsIntro/Outro by The Prophet MotiveSupport us here: https://www.patreon.com/1of200

Luke Gittos, Tom Slater and Fraser Myers discuss the catastrophic spring statement, the Gazan revolt against Hamas and the lawyer taking on the thoughtpolice. Celebrate 25 years of spiked. Donate £25 or more to get a year's membership of spiked supporters for half the usual price: https://www.spiked-online.com/donate/  Tom will be speaking at the Free Speech Union event, ‘Policing the streets vs policing our tweets', in Belfast on Friday 11 April. Get tickets: https://freespeechunion.org/event/belfast-speakeasy-policing-the-streets-vs-policing-our-tweets/ Looking to give AG1 a shot? If you want to support your health seven mornings a week, start with AG1. Subscribe now and get a FREE bottle of Vitamin D AND five free AG1 Travel Packs with your first subscription. Go to drinkAG1.com/spiked to get started today.

Jailed for a Facebook Post - War Veterans Horror Story. In this gripping Chris Thrall interview, we explore the shocking story of an Ex-Royal Marine jailed for a social media post. This case highlights the UK free speech crackdown and the dangers of social media censorship, as veterans and citizens alike face increasing restrictions on freedom of expression. Following the Southport murders aftermath, authorities took drastic action, leading to a Facebook prosecution that many see as politically motivated. Is this another example of veterans betrayed by the very country they served? We examine the British justice system, the role of the Public Order Act, and whether UK government overreach is silencing dissent. With rising concerns about political persecution, the Free Speech Union has weighed in on the growing number of social media arrests under vague and inconsistent laws. Many critics argue that two-tier policing unfairly targets individuals while ignoring others, raising fresh questions about Labour Party criticism of free speech and government policies. As tensions mount after the UK riots 2024, we discuss how new online speech laws are being used against military veterans and civilians alike. Does this case set a dangerous precedent for veteran rights? And what does it say about the state of democracy in Britain today? Join us as we uncover the truth behind the shocking case of Jamie Michael, the growing impact of social media laws, and what this means for the future of free speech in the UK. Socials: instagram.com/chris.thrall youtube.com/christhrall facebook.com/christhrall christhrall.com Support the podcast at: patreon.com/christhrall (£2 per month plus perks) gofundme.com/christhrall paypal.me/teamthrall Our uncensored content: christhrall.locals.com Mailing list: christhrall.com/mailing-list/ Life Coaching: christhrall.com/coach/  

Claire Fox, Josh Howie and Tom Slater discuss the denial of Hamas's barbarism, the culture war over Adolescence, the panic over Andrew Tate, and the Sullivan Review. Tom will be speaking at the Free Speech Union event, ‘Policing the streets vs policing our tweets', in Belfast on Friday 11 April. Get tickets: https://freespeechunion.org/event/belfast-speakeasy-policing-the-streets-vs-policing-our-tweets/ Take your business to the next level with Shopify. Sign up now and get a £1-per-month trial period: https://shopify.co.uk/spiked  Celebrate 25 years of spiked. Donate £25 or more to get a year's membership of spiked supporters for half the usual price: https://www.spiked-online.com/donate/ 

Today on the show... The media is officially less trusted than politicians—how did we get here? I dive into the ‘free lunch scandal’ that’s taken over headlines and, has the media staged this outrage? Plus, say the wrong thing, lose your job? Free Speech Union’s Jonathan Ayling joins us to discuss the fine line between personal opinions and professional consequences. Why do some protests cost people their jobs while others don’t? And is free speech only protected if you’re on the ‘right’ side?" I'm also joined by Tom O’Neill talks to Duncan about how employers monitor social media, what opinions can put your job at risk, and why a bad online take can haunt you forever. Is it time to rethink what you share?" And some Letter's to the Editor! Website: https://www.rova.nz/home/podcasts/duncan-garner---editor-in-chief. Instagram: @DuncanGarnerpodcast TikTok: @DuncanGarnerpodcast

Free speech hasn't been at the forefront of debate in Canada, but it should be. Unlike our neighbours in the United States, many Canadians have either taken free expression for granted, or simply don't see it as very important. Only recently have some of us woken up to the limitations our government can place on our speech if we don't make free expression a priority, and fast.Lisa Bildy is executive director of the Free Speech Union of Canada. Meghan Murphy speaks with her about Canada's free expression laws, the government crackdown on speech, the Orwellian Human Rights Tribunals coming for unsuspecting Canadians, and where we're headed as a country if we don't fight back now.The Same Drugs is on X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thesamedrugs_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Meghan Murphy is on X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@meghanemurphy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @meghanemilymurphy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Find The Same Drugs merch at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Fourthwall⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

A man arrested for burning a copy of the Koran in Bradford will not face charges, following intervention by the Free Speech Union. The man arrived in Britain as an asylum-seeker and, ironically, he was fleeing religious persecution in a Muslim majority country. After he uploaded a video of himself burning a Koran in a symbolic stand for freedom of speech and against Islamic extremism, West Yorkshire Police reacted swiftly – not to protect his right to protest, but to arrest him on suspicion of committing a criminal offence. The FSU intervened immediately, instructing a solicitor and covering our member's legal fees. After several months, the police have now told him they'll be taking no further action. Freddie Attenborough, our Digital Communications Director, has written about the case at length for The Conservative Woman. We are encouraging our supporters to write to their MP to encourage them to support an amendment tabled by The Opposition to scrap Clause 18 of the Employment Rights Bill. Clause 18 is a dangerous escalation in speech policing, disguised as a way to ‘protect' vulnerable workers. It will force British businesses to monitor customer conversations or risk being sued for ‘third-party harassment'. Next, two recent stories from Cardiff University could serve as a parable for all that's going wrong in British higher education. Either that, or a “Go Broke, Go Woke” parody. In story one, the university has announced plans to cut 400 academic jobs. In story two, there's now a mandatory EDI module for all first-year Cardiff students. In other words, at the same time as the university is trying to get rid of academics who could teach students to think critically about received wisdoms, it's somehow found the money to help EDI zealots impose them as dogma. The module provides a comprehensive guide to EDI-speak. Out, for example, go such “microaggressions” as complimenting somebody on their English. Also out are any idioms with an offensive ‘origin story'. We end the episode with a round-up of forthcoming FSU events. ‘That's Debatable!'  is edited by Jason Clift.

Freddie Attenborough from the Free Speech Union joins Chris Snowdon and Tom Slater for the latest episode of Last Orders, our nanny-state podcast. They discuss Labour's latest free-speech crackdown, why vaping really isn't as bad as smoking, and the nonsensical claim that Britain's students are hooked on gambling. Celebrate 25 years of spiked. Donate £25 or more to get a year's membership of spiked supporters for half the usual price: https://www.spiked-online.com/donate/ Listen, share and give us a glowing review on your podcast app. Also, send your postbag questions to lastorders@spiked-online.com and we'll try to answer them in the next episode. Support spiked: https://www.spiked-online.com/support/  Sign up to spiked's newsletters: https://www.spiked-online.com/newsletters/

In this episode of the Free Speech Union podcast, Nathan and Nick discuss free speech challenges. They unpack media coverage, police conduct around protest, and the role of churches in protests, while calling for balanced law enforcement and peaceful discourse amid rising tensions.Support the showhttps://www.fsu.nz/https://x.com/NZFreeSpeechhttps://www.instagram.com/freespeechnz/https://www.tiktok.com/@freespeechunionnz

Free Speech Union New Zealand's Nick Hanne joins Emile Donovan to explain why the union believes the protest went against the ideals of free speech.

In this episode, James and Michael talk to Stephanie Martin from the Free Speech Union (and also the New Zealand Initiative) about a Law Commission consultation paper on hate crime legislation. The discussion examines the shift from treating hate as an aggravating factor in sentencing to creating specific hate crime offenses, while exploring philosophical questions about hate motivation and concerns about free speech implications.

I went to a debate run by the Free Speech Union. Much love and gratitude, Belle x #prestonbyrne #professorjamesallen #fsu

Go to https://getdwplus.com/winston to enjoy 30% off by using code WINSTON30 and access The Making Of Am I Racist today! Lord Toby Young, founder of Free Speech Union, comes in to discuss Labour's draconian free speech curtailments.With the new APPG definition of Islamophobia set to come into law under Angela Rayner's supervision, Keir Starmer's fierce response to tweets, memes and livestreams after the Axel Rudakubanu killings.But it gets worse - de-facto blasphemy laws with arrests for a Koran-burning in Manchester, a week after famous Koran-burner Salwan Momika is killed in Sweden.We discuss the history of hate speech and free speech in the UK, Non-Crime Hate Incidents, police quangos and the latest developments in the courts.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------To see more exclusive content and interviews consider subscribing to my substack here: https://www.winstonmarshall.co.uk/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Substack: https://www.winstonmarshall.co.uk/X: https://twitter.com/mrwinmarshallInsta: https://www.instagram.com/winstonmarshallLinktree: https://linktr.ee/winstonmarshall----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Chapters 00:00 Introduction 1:23 Islamophobia Law and Its Implications 4:50 Formation of the Advisory Council on Islamophobia 10:05 Challenges to Free Speech and Article 10 20:57 Context of Islamophobia and Free Speech in Europe 21:13 Non-Crime Hate Incidents and Their Impact 33:14 August Riots and Arrested For Social Media Posts 56:22 The Online Safety Act and Ofcom 1:06:13 The Importance of Free Speech and the Role of the Free Speech Union Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the help of the FSU, a former Royal Marine who served in Iraq has been cleared of publishing threatening material with intent to stir up racial hatred – in reality, a 12-minute Facebook video urging people to stage peaceful protests about illegal immigration. Jamie Michael, an FSU member, was unanimously acquitted by a jury at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court in just 17 minutes. The story was reported this week in The Telegraph. We paid his legal fees and arranged for him to be represented by solicitor Luke Gittos and barrister Adam King. Prosecutors claimed his language was “unrelentingly negative” towards immigrants, but his defence made clear that it was directed only at those who are “illegal, unchecked or radicalised”. The jury reached its verdict in 17 minutes, less time than it took to hear the prosecution's opening arguments. FSU General Secretary Toby Young has written to the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) on behalf of the FSU protesting its decision to release the name and street address of the man who was arrested on Monday for publicly burning the Koran. In the letter, Toby tells the Chief Constable: “As you must know, demonstrations involving damage to or the destruction of a Koran have been responded to with violence of the most serious kind. Just last week, an Iraqi man named Salwab Momika was murdered in Sweden after he burnt a Koran”. Meanwhile, Angela Rayner, in her role as communities secretary, is planning a new council on ‘Islamophobia' and lining up ex-Tory attorney-general Dominic Grieve to chair it, according to The Telegraph. The 16-strong body will draw up an official government definition of Islamophobia. In 2018 Mr Grieve wrote a foreword to the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims which set out the controversial definition of Islamophobia later adopted by the Labour Party when it was in opposition. This definition has been widely criticised – including in a Free Speech Union briefing – for being far too broad and labelling perfectly legitimate criticisms of Islam ‘Islamophobic'. We end with a report that NHS staff have been told not to call people “obese” in an inclusive language guide produced by the medicines watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The guide, reported in The Telegraph, instructs medical workers to describe the badly overweight as “people with obesity”. It also warns against using “diabetic”, and “alcoholic” rather than “people with diabetes” and “people who are dependent on alcohol”. ‘That's Debatable!'  is edited by Jason Clift.

We briefly discuss last Saturday's Manchester event on free expression in football, before moving on to a recent victory for workplace free speech that was reported in The Telegraph. The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) has scrapped controversial plans to force its 32,000 members — including 15,000 student members and 46 partner universities — to "encourage diversity, equity and inclusion" in all aspects of their professional and personal lives. The Free Speech Union responded to both of the IFoA's consultations on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and we take the opportunity to discuss the best strategies for tackling these kind of free speech codes in other contexts. Also reported last week in The Telegraph, claims of ‘two-tier' policing are, according to an internal Home Office report, an ‘extreme right-wing narrative'. We know about the Home Office report not because it was published, but because it was leaked to the think tank Policy Exchange, which rightly pointed out that some of the definitions of extremism threaten free speech, defining aspects of normal and legitimate political debate as extremist. We end with Jan's regular report on upcoming FSU events plus the good news of Toby Young's introduction to the House of Lords on Tuesday 28th January, alongside the FSU's Chairman, Lord Biggar. ‘That's Debatable!'  is edited by Jason Clift.

Toby Young – general secretary of the Free Speech Union – returns to The Brendan O'Neill Show. Toby and Brendan discuss how ‘banter bouncers' could soon be deployed in pubs and football stadiums, the perils of banning Islamophobia and why woke isn't over yet. Order Brendan O'Neill's After the Pogrom now from:

Controversial American influencer Candace Owens is bringing her speaking tour to New Zealand. Free Speech Union head Jonathan Ayling spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Free Speech Union is considering legal action over a far-right US commentator being banned from the country. Candace Owens promotes antisemitic conspiracy theories, has downplayed aspects of the Holocaust and has made offensive comments about Muslims. Immigration New Zealand has denied her a work visa for a speaking tour - because she was banned from Australia. Free Speech Union Chief Executive Jonathan Ayling says they think the Crown has acted unlawfully. "Yes, we'll definitely take them to court - we're going to appeal to the Immigration Minister first though, and any associate Immigration Ministers. Chris Penk is the one who deals with appeal cases like that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Nigel Biggar is an ethicist and theologian at the University of Oxford whose experience being 'cancelled' for an opinion piece on Britain's imperial history led to him championing the UK's Free Speech Union.

The Free Speech Union is proving its worth with a number of successful international speakers to New Zealand. The latest is Professor Nigel Biggar, who amongst a number of contributions to the cause wrote “The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill 2021". He proved to be a most interesting, informative and entertaining guest. Patrick Basham provided exit poll numbers from his Democracy Institute and the Daily Express. And we visit The Mailroom with Mrs Producer File your comments and complaints at Leighton@newstalkzb.co.nz Haven't listened to a podcast before? Check out our simple how-to guide. Listen here on iHeartRadio Leighton Smith's podcast also available on iTunes:To subscribe via iTunes click here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Free Speech Union has joined community organisations, legal experts, and official advice in opposing the legislation to ban gang patches. FSU Spokesperson Nick Hanne spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

On today's episode, the government says getting people to work from the office is better for productivity, while also acknowledging it will be a much needed boost for central city shops, cafes and restaurants, in Lebanon it has been the deadliest day of Israeli strikes since 2006, Donald Trump has said that he does not expect to run again for president if he is defeated in November's US election, the Free Speech Union has joined community organisations, legal experts, and official advice in opposing the legislation to ban gang patches, Ruapehu's mayor Weston Kirton is deeply disappointed the Department of Conservation's has cancelled the planned expressions of interest for potential new operators of the beleaguered Chateau Tongariro Hotel.

In this episode of the Free Speech Union podcast, Jonathan Ayling is joined by Simon O'Connor, former MP for Tamaki, and Nick Hanne, education partnership manager at FSU. The discussion revolves around a controversial letter signed by 400 church leaders denouncing the Act Party's Treaty Principles Bill. The episode delves into themes of free speech, democracy, and the historical and contemporary role of the church in public discourse. The conversation explores differing views on whether the push to stop the bill from going to select committee stifles public debate and the broader implications for free speech in New Zealand.Support the showhttps://www.fsu.nz/https://x.com/NZFreeSpeechhttps://www.instagram.com/freespeechnz/https://www.tiktok.com/@freespeechunionnz

Welcome to The Weekly Sceptic, episode 99. Sadly this is our final episode. Thanks so much for all the support over the last couple of years. Please email site@basedmedia.org for refunds or any other queries. Donate to the Daily Sceptic www.dailysceptic.org/donate/ Join the Free Speech Union www.freespeechunion.org/join/ Listen to Nick's podcast 'The Current Thing' here or wherever you get your podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-current-thing/id1671573905 Subscribe to Nick's Substack here: www.nickdixon.net Support Nick by buying him a coffee here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/nickdixon To get Nick's special offer email ndsubstack@gmail.com or DM him via nickdixon.net Quote ‘Sceptic migrant' to get 3 months for free, or buy the yearly subscription for £50 then quote ‘Sceptic refugee' to get a Zoom call with Nick thrown in.  Nick's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@nick_dixon Music by Tinderella www.tinderella.info THANK YOU AND GOODBYE.

As co-pilot Pearson makes a triumphant return to the rocket, sunkissed and well rested, there is no short of madness orbiting the rocket. But has the UK really gone back to the 70s?Allison thinks the PM's Rose Garden speech was ‘tone deaf' and with things only set to get worse, in the words of the PM, co pilot Halligan delivers some sobering economic predictions for the upcoming budget.Strapping into the cockpit this week is Director of the Free Speech Union, Toby Young who gives his take on the incoming government and why social media is not to blame for the recent riots in the UK.And there's a triumphant return from Velma.Read more from Liam: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/liam-halligan/ |Read more from Allison: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/a/ak-ao/allison-pearson/ |Need help subscribing or reviewing? Learn more about podcasts here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/radio/podcasts/podcast-can-find-best-ones-listen/ |Email: planetnormal@telegraph.co.uk |For 30 days' free access to The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/normal | Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TNT Radio guest host Basil Valentine speaks with Tom Harris from the Free Speech Union, to discuss the febrile context in which the UK Labour government is considering a review of the Online Safety Act 2023, to tackle disinformation, hate speech and incitement to violence, following the recent riots that have divided Britain. He also discusses the complexity and the risk of drafting a new definition of Islamophobia which could easily be weaponised by both sides during tensions, possibly making the matter worse than it currently is. More from Tom: FreeSpeechUnion.org X/Twitter ▶️ ATTENTION: The Patrick Henningsen Show MON-FRI will be on summer hiatus for the next few weeks. Appreciate all of you who have been tuning in. We'll see you all in due course.

The right to speak one's piece is under attack both at home and abroad. The press, who should have the biggest dog in this fight, has somehow become cheerleaders for the censors. Elon Musk and his X social media platform have become a favorite target. We look at that and take the international view with the founder and General Secretary of the UK's Free Speech Union, Toby Young, whose worst fears about the new Labour government are all coming true.All that and the Parting Shot... a shot for Monkey Pox?

Recorded at the Battle of Ideas festival 2022 on Saturday 15 October at Church House, London. ORIGINAL INTRODUCTION The Online Safety Bill is causing huge concern for those who believe in free speech. But how can we protect free expression and still deal with the many problems that arise online? The Bill has passed through the House of Commons and will now be debated in the House of Lords. There are hopes that Liz Truss's government may amend the Bill to remove the most egregious problem with it: the attempt to force tech platforms and service providers – such as Twitter, Facebook, Google and many more – to remove content and ban users from expressing ideas or views that the government deems to be ‘legal but harmful'. However, the very idea that legislation was drafted to ban legal speech as it appears in the virtual public square – including references to sex and gender, race, eating disorders or the diverse category of ‘mental health challenges' – says much about the current attitude among politicians and regulators. Concerns remain at the wide scope of proposals in the legislation. It recommends new rules to control online services, including search engines and user-generated content. It will also affect privacy by constraining end-to-end encryption. The law will compel tech firms, who already regulate and remove content they have decided is ‘problematic', to comply through fines and suspension, and requires they provide user tracking data on individuals who are considered to be breaking these laws. If and when the law is passed, it is now proposed that the lead time for compliance is reduced from 22 months to just two. Companies will have just over eight weeks from the royal assent of the law to make sure that they're in full compliance to avoid penalties. Despite these potentially draconian measures, there are undoubtedly new harms created by the online world. Are free-speech advocates being insensitive to what is novel about the internet as a threat? Trolling can go beyond unpleasant abuse to threats of violence. Children are far more likely to suffer at the hands of malicious bullying online than in the playground. Worse, such abuse can go viral. What do we do about child-safety concerns, viral sexting, online anonymous grooming, bad faith con-merchants and conspiracy-mongers passing off misinformation as fact? What of the potential psychological damage, particularly for those considered more socially and psychologically ‘at-risk'? Is it good enough to argue that these ‘crimes' are already protected by existing laws? In any event, safety issues and legislation may not even be the biggest free-speech issues online. In fact, perhaps it is Big Tech companies that have the real power. For example, Spotify has removed podcasts it deems politically unacceptable while PayPal has removed support for organisations critical of Covid policies and gender ideology. Does the online world, warts and all, present free-speech supporters with insurmountable problems? Or is free speech a fundamental societal value that must be fought for, whatever the consequences or regardless of the challenges of any new technology? SPEAKERS Lord Charles Colville Crossbench peer, House of Lords; former member, Communications and Digital Select Committee; freelance TV producer Paddy Hannam researcher, House of Commons; writer and commentator Molly Kingsley co-founder, UsForThem; co-author, The Children's Inquiry Graham Smith tech and internet lawyer; of counsel, Bird & Bird LLP; author, Internet Law and Regulation; blogger, Cyberleagle Toby Young general secretary, Free Speech Union; author, How to Lose Friends & Alienate People; associate editor, Spectator CHAIR Dr Jan Macvarish education and events director, Free Speech Union; author, Neuroparenting: the expert invasion of family life

GUEST OVERVIEW: Tom Harris is director of data and impact for the Free Speech Union.

The Free Speech Union's Jan Macvarish returns to Last Orders with Chris Snowdon and Tom Slater. They discuss why Labour is abandoning the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, how drinking made Western civilisation and the problem with ‘problem gambling'.  Send your postbag questions to lastorders@spiked-online.com and we'll try to answer them in the next episode. Support spiked: https://www.spiked-online.com/support/  Sign up to spiked's newsletters: https://www.spiked-online.com/newsletters/

GUEST OVERVIEW: John Beckner is a U.S political commentator. GUEST OVERVIEW: Tom Harris from the Free Speech Union. GUEST OVERVIEW: Paul McGowan is an artist and social commentator who has been cancelled many times by the mainstream media. Addressing emotive issues, his works often provoke strong reactions. He studied art at Falmouth, Winchester and Bath School of Art.

Toby Young – general secretary of the Free Speech Union – returns to The Brendan O'Neill Show. Toby and Brendan discuss Labour's cancellation of the Free Speech Act, Keir Starmer's hostility to the press and the new hate-speech laws coming down the track. Order Brendan O'Neill's A Heretic's Manifesto now from:

Welcome to The Weekly Sceptic episode 98 This week Nick and Toby talk about: The Olympic opening ceremony and why the world's biggest religion was mocked, in spite of artistic director Thomas Jolly wanting to make it ‘inclusive'. Why Suella Braverman isn't standing in the Conservative leadership election and whether Kemi is the Tories' best hope (Toby thinks so). The violent incident at Manchester Airport last week and whether the police officer at the centre of it was justified in his use of force. Tommy Robinson's recent difficulties and the difficulty in deciding whether he‘s a free speech hero or a free speech grifter. And premium content on www.basedmedia.org, which includes: The attempt by Big Tech and the MSM to memory hole the assassination attempt on Trump and whether their mendacious tactics are likely to get Kamala Harris elected. Kamala's attack on J.D. Vance for being ‘wierd' and J.D.'s response. Everyone's favourite section Peak Woke, in which Nick is unimpressed by a South African woman's request for asylum on the grounds that she wants to continue her polygamous marriage in England and Toby regrets the RAF deciding to drop the name ‘Crusader' from Squadron 14. And in the Based Department, it's a toss up between Donald Trump and J.D Vance. This week's sponsor: Thor Holt To connect with Thor, message him on linkedin.com/in/thorholt/ or go to GrowthPresenter.com To purchase tickets to the Weekly Sceptic Live, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/weekly-sceptic-live-tickets-943483162537?aff=oddtdtcreator To advertise to The Weekly Sceptic's large and loyal audience, drop Toby a line on theweeklysceptic@gmail.com You can listen to or watch the podcast at: www.basedmedia.org Donate to the Daily Sceptic www.dailysceptic.org/donate/ Join the Free Speech Union www.freespeechunion.org/join/ Listen to Nick's podcast – The Current Thing – https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-current-thing/id1671573905 Subscribe to Nick's Substack: www.nickdixon.net Help Nick keep both of his podcasts going by buying him a coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/nickdixon Produced by Lambeth Walk Productions. Music by Tinderella www.tinderella.info

Following Otago University's implementation of a free speech and academic freedom policy earlier this year, universities countrywide are following suit.  The Free Speech Union has engaged with most New Zealand universities and says it has held high-level talks.  Chief Executive Jonathan Ayling tells Mike Hosking the Free Speech Union is concerned about the state of free speech and academic freedom across the university sector.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Weekly Sceptic episode 97 This week Nick and Toby talk about: The strangeness of Biden's announcement that he wouldn't be seeking re-election and the inevitable conspiracy theories that it's given rise to. Was Biden's withdrawal from the Presidential race a palace coup? How much did he really know about it? Why the gap between the announcement and his endorsement of Kamala harris? Can the Democrats ever pose as the guardians of democracy again, given that it's now obvious the elected President hasn't been in charge and the process of selecting his successor has been so undemocratic? Does Kamala have a hope of beating Trump? Does she have anything going for her? She's younger than Trump, but can the Dems really make age an issue in the election, given that Biden was the candidate until five minutes ago? Why is Kamala such a poor public speaker? Is it because she's such an awful boss she can't persuade anyone decent to work for her? Have the Democrats foisted themselves with a Presidential candidate who was a diversity hire? Will this be another nail in the coffin of DEI? And premium content on www.basedmedia.org, which includes: Kim Cheatle's resignation as Secret Service Director after a monstering in Congress and whether she could have avoided that humiliation by resigning the day after the failed assassination attempt. The Leeds riots and whether they are an indictment of mass immigration, as Nigel Farage and others claimed. Everyone's favourite section Peak Woke, in which Nick decries the punishment of a seven year-old girl for writing “All Lives Matter” and Toby weeps at the demonisation of the Prince Albert Memorial. And in the Based Department, the clear winner is the judge who handed out stiff jail sentences to Roger Hallam and his Just Stop Oil comrades. This week's sponsor: Thor Holt To connect with Thor, message him on linkedin.com/in/thorholt/ or go to GrowthPresenter.com To purchase tickets to the Weekly Sceptic Live, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/weekly-sceptic-live-tickets-943483162537?aff=oddtdtcreator To advertise to The Weekly Sceptic's large and loyal audience, drop Toby a line on theweeklysceptic@gmail.com You can listen to or watch the podcast at: www.basedmedia.org Donate to the Daily Sceptic www.dailysceptic.org/donate/ Join the Free Speech Union www.freespeechunion.org/join/ Listen to Nick's podcast – The Current Thing – https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-current-thing/id1671573905 Subscribe to Nick's Substack: www.nickdixon.net Help Nick keep both of his podcasts going by buying him a coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/nickdixon Produced by Lambeth Walk Productions. Music by Tinderella www.tinderella.info

Welcome to the Weekly Sceptic episode 96 This week Nick and Toby talk about: Where they were when Trump was shot (in the ear). The tsunami of bad takes about the attempt to assassinate the former President, from the Denver Post headline -- "Gunman Dies in Attack" -- to David Baddiel half-jokingly suggesting Trump conspired to have himself shot. Was the abject failure of the Secret Service to protect Trump a cock-up or a conspiracy? Toby thinks cock-up, Nick isn't so sure. The fact that Biden has also benefitted from the failed assassination attempt in the that is has snuffed out the coup to replace him and made replacing him less attractive since Trump's victory is now nailed on. And premium content on www.basedmedia.org, which includes: Trump picking JD Vance as his running mate, which both Toby and Nick think is smart. England's loss in the Euro finals and Gareth Southgate's resignation as manager.  Everyone's favourite section Peak Woke, in which Nick decries the Science Museum's decision to stop being funded by a Norwegian energy company and Toby rails against the Key's advice to teachers to liken the British Empire to Nazi Germany. A new section devoted to the most egregious examples of anarcho-tyranny in the past week. And in the Based Department, the clear winner is Donald Trump -- what could be more based than reacting like he did to being shot at -- and the runner up is Health Secretary Wes Streeting for making his predecessor's temporary ban on puberty blockers permanent. This week's sponsor: Thor Holt To connect with Thor, message him on linkedin.com/in/thorholt/ or go to GrowthPresenter.com To purchase tickets to the Weekly Sceptic Live, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/weekly-sceptic-live-tickets-943483162537?aff=oddtdtcreator To advertise to our large and loyal audience, drop Toby a line on theweeklysceptic@gmail.com You can listen to or watch the podcast at: www.basedmedia.org Donate to the Daily Sceptic www.dailysceptic.org/donate/ Join the Free Speech Union www.freespeechunion.org/join/ Listen to Nick's podcast – The Current Thing – https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-current-thing/id1671573905 Subscribe to Nick's Substack www.nickdixon.net Help Nick keep both of his podcasts going by buying him a coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/nickdixon Produced by Lambeth Walk Productions. Music by Tinderella www.tinderella.info

Welcome to the Weekly Sceptic episode 95 This week Nick and Toby talk about: The General Election result, in which Labour won a landslide in spite of just 20% of the electorate voting for them The ‘Portillo Moments' on the night in which Liz Truss, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Grant Shapps, Penny Mordaunt and Miriam Cates lost their seats The five seats won by pro-Palestinian candidates who are far more toxic than the five Reform MPs, but got a free pass from the media during the election campaign The runners and riders in the Tory leadership election and whether Robert Jenrick is enough of an outsider to qualify as a  ‘dark horse' And premium content on www.basedmedia.org, which includes: The French election result in which the National Rally polled the most votes, but ended up coming third Why the Dems will have to choose Michelle Obama as the candidate if they defenestrate Biden because they can't pick a white man in preference to Kamala Harris  Everyone's favourite section Peak Woke, in which Nick worries about getting into trouble if he tells any of his female co-workers they look ‘nice' in light of the employment tribunal deciding that's sexual harassment And in the Based Department, the clear winner is Noel Gallagher for telling virtue-signalling musicians at Glastonbury: “Play your f***ing tunes and get off.” This week's sponsor: Thor Holt To connect with Thor, WhatsApp him on +44 7906 321593 or ping him on linkedin.com/in/thorholt To purchase tickets to the Weekly Sceptic Live, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/weekly-sceptic-live-tickets-943483162537?aff=oddtdtcreator To advertise to our large and loyal audience, drop Toby a line on theweeklysceptic@gmail.com You can listen to or watch the podcast at: www.basedmedia.org Donate to the Daily Sceptic www.dailysceptic.org/donate/ Join the Free Speech Union www.freespeechunion.org/join/ Listen to Nick's podcast – The Current Thing – https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-current-thing/id1671573905 Subscribe to Nick's Substack www.nickdixon.net Help Nick keep both of his podcasts going by buying him a coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/nickdixon Produced by Lambeth Walk Productions. Music by Tinderella www.tinderella.info

GUEST 1 OVERVIEW: Ivaylo Yordanov is a Bulgarian Parliamentary Candidate.  GUEST 2 OVERVIEW: Ben Jones is the Director of Case Operations & Outreach, The Free Speech Union.  GUEST 3 OVERVIEW: Freedom Alliance developed out of the protest movement in 2020. A small group of activists recognised the need to use the political system to provide real opposition to the state's Covid narrative. We set up a registered political party and to date have stood 100s of candidates for election across Britain. Initially, we campaigned against lockdowns and the vaccine mandate. Then we connected with other policies and strategies of resistance to global technocracy.

American author Jonathan Rauch argues free speech and robust criticism should be encouraged and defended, even when it's racist, sexist or causes hurt. A gay, Jewish writer and thinker Rauch admits free speech can do harm, but argues minorities are better off in a society where free speech is embraced. Rauch has been visiting NZ at the invitation of the Free Speech Union discussing the necessity of academic freedom. He's a senior fellow in the Governance Studies programme at the Brookings Institute, the author of eight books and many articles on public policy, culture, government, and LGBT rights.

#IrishNews #FreeMarket #WhatIsLibertarian Gerard Casey is a Irish academic who is Professor Emeritus at University College Dublin. He holds law degrees from the University of London and UCD, as well as a primary degree in philosophy from University College Cork, an MA and PhD from the University of Notre Dame and the higher doctorate, DLitt, from the National University of Ireland. He is a Fellow of Mises UK, an Associated Scholar of the Ludwig von Mises Institute. He is an Associate Editor of the Christian Libertarian Review. He is also a member of the Free Speech Union and Academics for Academic Freedom. He has previous been a member of the Royal Institute of Philosophy, the American Philosophical Association and The Aristotelian Society. He was active in Irish politics in the 1990s and led the Christian Solidarity Party between 1993 and 1999. He now holds libertarian and philosophically anarchistic views. He has appeared from time to time on radio and TV in Ireland and the UK, contributing to discussions on topical social and political issues. --------------------- GUEST LINKS: - Twitter (X): https://x.com/Casey5122dark - Mises Institute: https://mises.org/profile/gerard-n-casey - Amazon Book Store: https://t.co/HxlrfguONq --------------------------- RISE TO LIBERTY LINKS: - RTL Master Link: https://risetoliberty.com/links - RTL Merch Store: https://risetoliberty.store - RTL On Odysee: https://risetoliberty.com/odysee - RTL Telegram: https://risetoliberty.com/freespeech - Substack - Beware The Mockingbird!: https://risetoliberty.substack.com - AUDIO PLATFORMS: https://risetoliberty.com/audio - Gratuitas! Buy Coffee w/ Monero: https://risetoliberty.com/gratuitas-xmr - Nadeau Shave Company: https://nadeaushaveco.com **Use code: RISE15 for 15% off!**

On today's show, Dr Reuben Kirkham discusses the Free Speech Union of Australia's campaign to abolish the eSafety Commissioner and amendments to Queensland's Anti-discrimination Act 1991. Later, Alex Zaharov-Reutt discusses the latest technology news. GUEST 1 OVERVIEW: Dr Reuben Kirkham is co-founder of the Free Speech Union of Australia. He was the EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellow in Computing at Newcastle University, UK. X: @FSUofAustralia https://freespeechunion.au/ GUEST 2 OVERVIEW: Alex Zaharov-Reutt is TechAdvice.Life Editor. He's one of Australia's best-known technology journalists and consumer tech experts. Alex has appeared in his capacity as a technology expert on all of Australia's free-to-air and pay-TV networks on all the major news and current affairs programs, on commercial and public radio, and technology, lifestyle, and Reality TV shows. X: @alexonline888

Toby Young, director of the splendid Free Speech Union, discusses his campaign to defend freedom of expression.

Marsh looks at the relationships between the Free Speech Union and the anti-mask/climate change denial website the Daily Sceptic. Meanwhile, Mike reports on court documents which reveal how Facebook steals data by spying on your encrypted internet traffic.Plus, Alice and Mike feed the animals at the zoo.