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Is the 'vibe shift' real? Or are we kidding ourselves that we are past “peak woke”? Bestselling novelist Lionel Shriver joins the Free Speech Union's general secretary Lord Young to explain why the 'long war' on free speech is just beginning. They discuss *Immigration: the subject of Lionel's latest novel “A Better Life” and why immigration has become the litmus test for progressives. *The Trans Debate: Why Lionel is resisting the urge to write the "predictable" trans novel. *Ideological Conformism: The chilling reason why most intellectuals choose "ideological collusion" over truth. * Political Violence: Reaction to the murder of Charlie Kirk and the rising temperature of the far-left. Support the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join Read Lionel Shriver's latest novel A Better Life: https://https://www.amazon.co.uk/Better-Life-Lionel-Shriver/dp/0063482142 Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion
The ACT Party's promising to ensure freedom of speech for professional regulators if re-elected. The proposal would ban regulators from disciplining workers for lawful expression outside of professional practice. It would require them to remain neutral on political issues and restrict mandatory training to matters directly related to professional competence and safety. Free Speech Union council member Ani O'Brien told Andrew Dickens these people are currently being judged on more than just their competence. She says workers are being policed on what they post on social media and their political beliefs. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dr Ben Jones, Director of Case Management at the UK Free Speech Union, joins host Dane Giraud to discuss his new book, Island of Strangers, and a question that should trouble anyone who values open debate: how did Britain - the country that gave the world so much of its free-speech tradition - become a place where the police knock on your door over a Facebook post?Jones has spent five years on the front line of Britain's free-speech wars, and his union now fields around fifty requests for help every week. Since the election of Keir Starmer's Labour government in 2024, he argues, the problem has shifted from cancellation to criminalisation - ordinary people arrested, interviewed and in some cases jailed for things they have said online. Taking Starmer's own "island of strangers" line as its starting point, the book argues that mass migration and the decline of Christianity have left Britain without the shared identity and common rituals that once held it together - and that a state trying to manage this "hyper-diversity" increasingly does so by suppressing speech, through two-tier policing and the quiet return of blasphemy law. Jones and Dane test the thesis hard: is the fault really with migration, or with the politicians who built the system? Does America's First Amendment prove a diverse society can stay free? And why does free speech look like a fragile, culturally specific inheritance rather than a universal default? The conversation ranges across the Roman Empire and the limits of assimilation, Aristotle and Durkheim on what actually makes a society, cancel culture and the "no debate" tactic, positive versus negative identity politics, the class dimension of censorship from the Lady Chatterley trial to today, and what all of this means for New Zealand and Australia - including NSW Premier Chris Minns' striking admission that free speech and multiculturalism may not mix. Island of Strangers is available now on Amazon in hardback, Kindle and audiobook. Free to Speak is the official podcast of the New Zealand Free Speech Union - uncensored conversations on free speech, civil liberties, and the people defending them. Hosted by Dane Giraud. Join the Free Speech Union: https://www.fsu.nz/join Support our work: https://www.fsu.nz/donate Newsletter: https://www.fsu.nz/subscribe Website: https://www.fsu.nz Got feedback or a guest suggestion? podcast@fsu.nzSupport the showhttps://www.fsu.nz/https://x.com/NZFreeSpeechhttps://www.instagram.com/freespeechnz/https://www.tiktok.com/@freespeechunionnz
Ex-cop Rick Prior worked in the Met police's Culture, Diversity and Inclusion department. He reveals how he witnessed the adoption of the sort of woke ideologies that lead to two-tier policing and situations like the arrest of dying victim Henry Nowak. #freespeech #twotierpolicing #henrynowak Read the Free Speech Union's briefing "With Fear and Favour: Britiain's Policing Emergency": https://freespeechunion.org/publications/fear-and-favour-policing-emergency Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/ Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion Follow Rick Prior: https://x.com/mpfchairman
In this episode, Eric talks with Jillaine Heather, Chief Executive of the Free Speech Union, about the Government's plans for an under-16 social media ban and the universal age verification that may come with it. They examine why the Department of Internal Affairs appears to be building delivery machinery ahead of any legislation, what Australia and the UK reveal about compliance and scope creep, and why policy aimed at online harms could create serious risks for privacy and free speech.
Vickrum Digwa, the killer of Henry Nowak, was convicted of murder last month. This week, the police released bodycam footage showing how Nowak was handcuffed and assumed to be the offender in a racist attack, even though he was dying from stab wounds. The fallout has been public and political outrage, and has spotlighted the way the police (and many other institutions) have formal policy to treat people differently based on their ethnicity. In that context, this debate, recorded at the Battle of Ideas festival 2025, seems very topical on how we got to this state of affairs. ORIGINAL FESTIVAL INTRODUCTION Over recent months, there has been a loud and vociferous debate raging in the UK about the merits or otherwise of multicultural policies. In the past, Martin Luther King's dictum of ‘colour-blindness' was embraced by all sides politically and aspired to a multi-ethnic society that saw skin colour and ethnicity as secondary factors to unity and cohesion. More recently, institutionalised and ubiquitous state multiculturalism has instead encouraged British citizens to view each other through the prism of ethnic, religious and cultural difference. Combined with a more contemporary embrace of identity politics and critical race theory, which regards white people as inherently privileged, multiculturalism has been accused of dangerously stoking up fragmentation and division. But there are shifts that imply identity politics is now being embraced across the political spectrum. The political right, in particular, reacted against the race- and identity-based grievances associated with the Black Lives Matter movement's rise after the death of George Floyd. It rejected ‘two-tierism', justified by DEI, whether in the criminal-justice system or in hiring practices. However, more recently, increasing sections of the right have begun to embrace similar thinking, only in reverse. A newly emerging white-identitarian sentiment now frequently suggests white victimhood must be addressed by policies, arguing white people are becoming an oppressed class, while minorities are presented as a protected elite. Although the term itself is contested, critics of this emergent ‘woke right' argue it has much in common with its counterpart on the left: race essentialism and identity-based grievance. They point out that while past waves of immigration were always a source of some racial tensions; crucially, movements were created that transcended difference and encouraged mass political struggles for equality and against discrimination. Yet the slogan ‘black and white, unite and fight' – which focused on commonality of values, hopes and aspirations – seems out of sync with today's identitarian discourse espoused by both left and right. Is white identitarianism an understandable reaction to left-wing wokeism? Is it possible to go beyond mutually suspicious ethno-religious blocs, each armed with competing grievances and claims to victimhood? Is a framework of common values and beliefs – that enables us to treat all people equally, regardless of ethnicity – possible today? SPEAKERS Albie Amankona broadcaster; financial analyst; executive member, 2022 Group; champion, Next Gen Tories; general council, LGBT+ Conservatives; co-founder, Conservatives Against Racism. Chris Bayliss writer and consultant Sonya Douglas artist, poet and campaigner Tim Samuels documentary-maker; broadcaster; author Dr Alka Sehgal Cuthbert director, Don't Divide Us; author, What Should Schools Teach? Disciplines, subjects and the pursuit of truth CHAIR Dr Jan Macvarish education and events director, Free Speech Union
Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Denise L'Estrange-Corbet and Andie McCombs. First up, Coality's latest data on house prices is out and prices are down 17 percent from their 2022 peak. What are prices going to do in the near future? The panel talks to Kelvin Davidson, chief property economist at Cotality. Then, the government is marching towards banning under 16s from social media, but the Free Speech union says they don't even know if a ban would be lawful under freedom of expression laws. Is the government going too fast on this? Jilliane Heather, Chief executive of the Free Speech Union discuses the issues with the panel.
Former BBC editor Rob Burley talks about his recent Unherd investigation: "Inside the capture of the BBC How transgenderism killed impartiality." This is an insider account of how bosses at one of Britain's most important institutions became scared of young, woke employees and speaking freely. #freespeech #bbc #bbcnews Read Rob's article for Unherd: https://unherd.com/2026/05/inside-the-capture-of-the-bbc/ Follow Rob Burley: SubStack: https://substack.com/@UCws6I35J8b51YrUdkcph8CA X/Twitter: https://x.com/RobBurl?lang=en Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/ Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion
Journalist Janet Murray tells Connie Shaw how her views about trans impacted her community choir. The "Singing Striders" were dropped by disability charity Scope from performing at the London Marathon. Scope objected to Janet's views, even though they were unrelated to her work with the choir. Scope backed down at the last minute, but too late for the show to go on. The choir row is just the latest attack Janet has suffered in a long campaign against her. #freespeech #transgender #ukpolitics Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/ Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion Follow Janet Murray https://janetmurray.co.uk https://x.com/jan_murray https://janetmurray.substack.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/janet-murray74/
The Rebel News podcasts features free audio-only versions of select RebelNews+ content and other Rebel News long-form videos, livestreams, and interviews. Monday to Friday enjoy the audio version of Ezra Levant's daily TV-style show, The Ezra Levant Show, where Ezra gives you his contrarian and conservative take on free speech, politics, and foreign policy through in-depth commentary and interviews. Wednesday evenings you can listen to the audio version of The Gunn Show with Sheila Gunn Reid the Chief Reporter of Rebel News. Sheila brings a western sensibility to Canadian news. With one foot in the oil patch and one foot in agriculture, Sheila challenges mainstream media narratives and stands up for Albertans. If you want to watch the video versions of these podcasts, make sure to begin your free RebelNewsPlus trial by subscribing at http://www.RebelNewsPlus.com
After Independent Councillor John Edwards asked questions about a scheme for housing Afghan migrants, he found himself under investigation by the local council. Even though he was cleared by an independent investigator, he still faces a hearing and has had to launch a CROWDFUNDER to defend himself. JOHN'S CROWDFUNDER: https://www.gofundme.com/f/silenced-for-telling-the-truth-about-an-afghan-hotel-scheme?attribution_id=sl:a3a0cd74-42ae-4834-88c9-c9ee17ae16da&lang=en_GB&ts=1778681504&utm_campaign=man_sharesheet_dash&utm_content=amp20_t1&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link Follow John https://linktr.ee/John_EdwardsUK Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/ Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion
The Labour MP and lifelong socialist reveals his fears about censorship, corporate spies and attempts to undermine democracy. #freespeech #pressfreedom #ukpolitics Plus, the Free Speech Union's David Rose shares his exclusive investigation into a pro-censorship web of Labour apparatchiks. Read the FSU's briefing, "Starmer's Misinformation Mafia" now: https://freespeechunion.org//publications/starmers-misinformation-mafia Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/ Follow the Free Speech Union: X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion
The conservative MP talks cover‑ups, community tensions, and free speech with FSU General Secretary Lord Young #GroomingGangs #freespeech #onlinesafety Follow Katie Lam MP: https://x.com/Katie_Lam_MP Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/ Follow the Free Speech Union: X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion
What happens when an old regulator tries to police a media world that's already moved on? We get stuck with a fight over The Platform's Sean Plunket, the BSA, free speech, and whether broadcasting rules still make sense when podcasts and radio start crossing over. In this episode, Duncan digs into the complaint over Plunket's “mumbo jumbo” comment, and why the real issue might be the Platform's link to terrestrial radio. He's joined by Free Speech Union chief executive Jillaine Heather to talk mission creep, censorship concerns, and whether the government should be stepping in to draw a line. They also get into the proposed under-16 social media ban, why blanket bans rarely work, and why ministers keep going missing when the hard questions start. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Can a man be a woman? When student Samiksha Bhattacharjee organised a campus debate on the topic "all hell broke out." #transgender #charliekirk #UKPolitics Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/ Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion
Dr Shahrar Ali was the Deputy Leader of the Green Party from 2014 to 2016. He was removed as a spokeman for his gender critical views. Now, he believes the Greens are a danger to society. But he says it's not too late to save them. #islam #transgender #greenparty Follow Shahar: https://x.com/ShahrarAli Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/ Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion
Brodie Mitchell was banned from campus by Royal Holloway for telling a student that her Palestinian scarf looked like a tea towel. Now he might be prosecuted. #palestine #islam #israel Donate to the Free Speech Union's crowdfunder: https://freespeechunion.org/fundraisers/islamophobia-fundraiser Brodie Mitchell: https://www.tiktok.com/@brodie_uk Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/ Follow the Free Speech Union: X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss on Islamism and why she's woken up to the issue of free speech. #Islam #labour #freespeech The Liz Truss Show: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpILxhwF4a1H-iBA6Apb0FQ Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/ Follow the Free Speech Union: X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion
Fiyaz Mughal OBE is a Muslim community activist who opposes the government's recent decision to publish an official definition of Islamophobia — now repackaged as 'anti-Muslim hostility'. He tells David Rose, the FSU's director of research and policy, why. Fiyaz is the founder of Faith Matters and of Tell MAMA, an organisation set up to help victims of anti-Muslim hate crime. #labour #IslamophobiaDebate #freespeech #islam Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/ Follow the Free Speech Union: X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion
Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are former Conservative Cabinet minister Dame Theresa Villiers, Labour MP Danny Beales, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell and Connie Shaw from the Free Speech Union.
Could the war in Iran be worth it?Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are former Conservative Cabinet minister Dame Theresa Villiers, Labour MP Danny Beales, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell and Connie Shaw from the Free Speech Union.
Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg is a former cabinet minister and Conservative MP for North East Somerset, and now a GB News presenter. He says Jim Ratcliffe's comments about immigration has cleared the path for others, and that the Equality Act should be scrapped. What do you think? Follow Jacob: https://x.com/Jacob_Rees_Mogg Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/ Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion
Jack Anderton is a political campaigner and adviser for Reform UK. Bangor University Debating and Political Society refused his request to speak and debate with students as part of his 'A New Dawn' tour, claiming that Reform UK members and representatives were "racist" "homophobic" and "transphobic". #reformuk #freespeech #university #cancelculture Jack's events: https://jackanderton.com/events/ Follow Jack: https://x.com/JACKGUYANDERTON Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join.html Follow the Free Speech Union: https://x.com/SpeechUnion https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion
David Rose is the Free Speech Union's Director of Research and Policy. His report on the Islamophobia working group has revealed that every single member has connections with Islamist organisations. #islam #freespeech #labour READ THE REPORT IN FULL: https://freespeechunion.org/anti-free-speech-hostility-islamophobia.pdf Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/ Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion
Debate recorded at the Battle of Ideas festival 2025 on Saturday 18 October at Church House, Westminster. This week, Reform's Suella Braverman declared that if the party were elected to government it would 'repeal the Equality Act, because we are going to work to build a country defined by meritocracy not tokenism, personal responsibility not victimhood, excellence not mediocrity, and unity not division'. In response, Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the BBC that the Act represented 'basic values, one of which is should women be treated equally with men... I think it actually rips up something that goes to who we are as a country because I believe passionately that to be tolerant, compassionate and diverse is what it is to be British'. What has been the impact of the Equality Act on British workplaces? ORIGINAL FESTIVAL INTRODUCTION The British workplace is now too often a toxic environment, a hotbed of grievance culture, lawfare and an ever-expanding number of disciplinary codes unrelated to the nature of specific jobs. Over the past year, there's been a 23 per cent rise in cases at employment tribunals and a two-year waiting list, due to a growing backlog, with workplace conflicts estimated to now cost businesses £28.5 billion annually. How did this come about? The UK is a world leader in human relations (HR). With over half a million HR workers – almost double the number of 15 years ago – Britain stands second in the global league table for size of HR sector as a share of all occupations. Over seven in 10 FTSE 100 companies now boast a ‘chief HR officer' on their executive committee, reflecting the elevated status of this newfound ‘profession'. We might expect this might lead to happier more productive workers, fewer grievances and higher job retention. Yet the growth of the HR industrial complex doesn't appear to have led to better workplace outcomes or harmony. Arguably, HR is as much the problem as the solution. HR departments – until recently humdrum administrative hubs managing payrolls, processing sick notes and checking firms complied with employment law – have now morphed into real centres of power. They are the enforcers of workplace orthodoxies, controlling what workers can say or do, who keeps their job, and even shaping corporate missions. For example, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is charged with versing workers in new values, from DEI literacy to managing emotional security. What's more, the traditional defenders of workers' rights – trade unions – are increasingly acting in lockstep with HR managers' priorities. A recent paper by the Free Speech Union, Shopped Stewards, revealed the divisive nature of union bureaucrats' adherence to identity politics, which means they often side with the DEI initiatives of their employers, as opposed to defending their members' rights. For example, teacher Simon Pearson was fired by Preston College after a complaint from a Muslim representative of the National Education Union (NEU). Pearson was accused of being ‘Islamophobic' and ‘racially discriminatory' for social-media posts, such as saying Lucy Connolly ‘should not have been jailed'. Another report suggests that specific legislation has led to a deterioration in workplace relations. The Don't Divide Us report, The Equality Act Isn't Working, reveals the ‘expansionary logic' of the Equality Act 2010 has provided the legal scaffolding that supports a surge in (largely unsuccessful) workplace race–discrimination claims. This, DDU argues, contributes to a grievance culture where people resort to ‘lawfare' to resolve ‘petty disputes and imagined slights', while empowering thin-skinned employees to wilfully misinterpret perfectly innocent comments or interactions. Can the workplace be detoxified? How can we tame the HR monster? Can trade unions return to a ‘one for all, all for one' role of protecting workers' rights? Can laws that are divisive in workplaces be reined in? SPEAKERS Pamela Dow chief operating officer, Civic Future Paul Embery firefighter; trade unionist; author, Despised: why the modern Left loathes the working class; broadcaster Maya Forstater chief executive, Sex Matters Dr Anna Loutfi employment and human rights barrister; advisory council member, Don't Divide Us CHAIR Para Mullan former operations director, EY-Seren; fellow, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
A high-achieving Massey University student has walked away from their social work degree and New Zealand entirely. Duncan shares a chilling letter from a student who claims the Treaty and climate change are being shoved down their throats at the expense of practical skills. We are joined by Ghislaine Heather from the Free Speech Union to ask if our universities have become echo chambers that have forgotten how to teach kids how to think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Caroline Wheeler of The Sunday Times assesses the latest developments at Westminster.After a week in which the Prime Minister had to fight for his political survival, Caroline speaks to Labour grandee, Alan Johnson, a Cabinet minister in both the Blair and Brown governments, and Peter Hyman, a former strategist for Tony Blair when he was in Number Ten.In the wake of the scandal around Peter Mandelson, and amid concerns about the slow progress of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, a new cross-party group is calling for 'wholesale' reform of the House of Lords. One of those involved is Carmen Smith of Plaid Cymru, the youngest member of the House of Lords. Lord Young of Acton, a Conservative peer and founder of the Free Speech Union, is concerned that rule changes on stripping peerages could be used to suppress speech.Ahead of the Government's Schools White Paper, which is likely to include controversial reforms to special educational needs provision, Caroline speaks to Jo Hutchinson of the Education Policy Institute about how the system might be changed.And, to discuss what it's like inside Number Ten at moments of political crisis, Caroline brings together Guto Harri, former Director of Communications to Boris Johnson, and Luke Sullivan, former political director for Sir Keir Starmer.
Lawyer and Free Speech Union council member Douglas Brown joins the Free to Speak podcast to unpack the growing fight over who governs the internet - and why it matters for free expression in New Zealand. Using InternetNZ and its recent board election as a case study, Douglas and host Dane Giraud trace how internet governance decisions (often quietly) shape what can and can't be said online, and why Western democracies are increasingly flirting with restrictions - from platform regulation to debates over bans on services like X.Support the showhttps://www.fsu.nz/https://x.com/NZFreeSpeechhttps://www.instagram.com/freespeechnz/https://www.tiktok.com/@freespeechunionnz
EXCLUSIVE JANUARY OFFER: Get unlimited access to spiked for just £1 a month for the next three months: https://www.spiked-online.com/support/ Jacob Reynolds, Tom Slater and Fraser Myers on Trump's sabre-rattling, Starmer's surrender of the Chagos Islands and China's spy HQ in London. Watch the second half of the discussion on spiked podcast: unlocked – our weekly bonus podcast, exclusively for spiked supporters – here: https://www.spiked-online.com/podcast-episode/the-mad-sad-world-of-the-groypers/ EVENT: spiked is partnering with the Free Speech Union for ‘In Defence of Trial by Jury', a live discussion on Thursday 29 January in London. spiked supporters and Free Speech Union members can get discounted tickets: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/freespeechunion/2002087 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EXCLUSIVE JANUARY OFFER: Get unlimited access to spiked for just £1 a month for the next three months: https://www.spiked-online.com/support/ Keir Starmer's ‘Brexit reset' may be his worst negotiation yet. The UK is set to pay exorbitant amounts to the EU, hand over control of vital industries, and receive some nasty surprises in return. Here, Bruno Waterfield – Brussels correspondent at The Times – explains why Starmer's sellout to Brussels could lead to higher food and energy prices, and to the stifling of innovation and industry. He warns that Britain will pay a heavy price for so casually surrendering its sovereignty. EVENT: spiked is partnering with the Free Speech Union for ‘In Defence of Trial by Jury', a live discussion on Thursday 29 January in London. spiked supporters and Free Speech Union members can get discounted tickets: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/freespeechunion/2002087 Read spiked: https://www.spiked-online.com/ Support spiked: https://www.spiked-online.com/support/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
EXCLUSIVE JANUARY OFFER: Get unlimited access to spiked for just £1 a month for the next three months: https://www.spiked-online.com/support/ Brendan O'Neill, Tom Slater and Fraser Myers on the death of the Tories, the brutality of Iran's ayatollahs and Starmer's totalitarian war on X Watch the second half of the discussion on spiked podcast: unlocked – our weekly bonus podcast, exclusively for spiked supporters – here: https://www.spiked-online.com/podcast-episode/is-eva-vlaardingerbroek-a-threat-to-the-uk/ EVENT: spiked is partnering with the Free Speech Union for ‘In Defence of Trial by Jury', a live discussion on Thursday 29 January in London. spiked supporters and Free Speech Union members can get discounted tickets: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/freespeechunion/2002087 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Julia Hartley-Brewer chats to Lord Young about Britain's Free Speech crisis as yet another Brit becomes the latest victim of Keir Starmer's two-tier nation. Today, it's Jamie Michael, who was initially charged with hate speech towards illegal migrants after posting a video on Facebook. Even though a jury took 17 minutes to find Jamie ‘not guilty', local safeguarding authorities in Wales deemed him not to be allowed to work with kids. Jamie, a father of two, is no longer allowed to coach his daughter's local football team. Outraged by this decision, Julia is joined by Conservative Peer and Free Speech Union founder, Lord Young, as well as regular guest Sam Armstrong. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are the Conservative Shadow Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho, Labour MP Peter Swallow, the Good Growth Foundation's Theresa Bischoff and the Free Speech Union's Connie Shaw.
What role should the UK play in helping Jamaica recover from the damage which Hurricane Melissa will cause?Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question are the Conservative Shadow Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho, Labour MP Peter Swallow, the Good Growth Foundation's Theresa Bischoff and the Free Speech Union's Connie Shaw.
There's growing push-back on the idea that children should be censored at school, as extremism spreads. PPTA members are seeing misogyny spread through the classroom, and they're putting it down to a 'toxic online culture of masculinity'. The union wants to make addressing online extremism an official policy, and is calling for Government action. Free Speech Union CEO Jillaine Heather says it's hard to stop children picking up new ideas different to their parents' views. "What you want to do, if you disagree with those ideas, is engage with them. Engage in counter-speech, dismantle the ideas, test them, get them to bring their receipts. You can't censor those ideas, surely." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
[Ad] Support our show and yourself by supporting our two great sponsors! Go to https://piavpn.com/OTHERSIDE to get 83% off Private Internet Access with 4 months free! AND D-I-Y Your Patio, Carport, Deck, Pergola and more with SmartKits at smartkits.com.auThis week on THE OTHER SIDE... (Ep 427 w/c Fri 19 September 2025)-- AUSSIE CULTURE IS A LEFT WING MESS - Disgusting Comments from Prominent Aussie Leftists INFURIATE Conservatives!You'd have thought that the cold blooded murder of a 31-year-old political commentator might be a time for people to come together and stop the political attacks for a few days. You'd be wrong. -- AUSSIE TV's GAFFE OF THE YEAR - Financial “Police Chief” Puts Foot in Mouth in TV Gaffe ASIC levied a big fine on ANZ bank this week. But was it really THAT big? And the regulator's boss had a very embarrassing TV moment…-- eSAFETY Having ANOTHER Bad Month as Age Verification Tests Fail -- The PR fun of playing Fairy Godmother to “keep the kids safe” has faded, and the technical realities of trying to impose a ban on social media use by kids under 16 has hit home for the ‘eKarens'. The Free Speech Union's REUBEN KIRKHAM joins us to explain. Help us build a whole new world of Aussie media! Support us by joining THE EXCLUSIVE SIDE at https://www.othersidetv.com.au/Follow us on X @OtherSideAUSSubscribe NOW on YouTube @OtherSideAUSSupport us - Support our Sponsors - PIAVPN.com/OtherSide and smartkits.com.auSupport the showJoin The EXCLUSIVE Side at www.OtherSideTV.com.au and help us revolutionise Aussie media! The Other Side is a regular news/commentary show on YouTube @OtherSideAus and available to watch FREE here: https://www.youtube.com/@OtherSideAus Follow us on X @OtherSideAUS
Harriet Langley-Swindon and Producer Martin are joined by Phyllida Pomp, the events planner who arranged President Trump's historic second state visit; we speak to to a member of the Free Speech Union, Harold Spock, for their reaction to Jimmy Kimmel being taken off the air; and Eshaan Akbar reports live from the Unite The Kingdom march.If you don't fill in this survey, the terrorists have won: http://bit.ly/noncensored-surveyThank you to Kevin Worrall, who signed up to our Patreon last week at Patreon.com/NonCensored. They'll now receive every episode early and without adverts, as well as bonus podcasts and bonus segments to the regular podcast, as well as making it possible for us to pay our guests. We'll be doing a Time For Questions on Tuesday 23rd, so sign up before then to get your question to us. (They would normally get video, too, but the producer accidentally deleted it this week.)With thanks to Rosie Holt, Brendan Murphy, Eshaan Akbar, Elf Lyons, Will Sebag-Montefiore and Ed Morrish.Rosie's book, Why We Were Right, is available now.Brendan is currently on tour with his show, Buffy ReVamped.Eshaan has a stand-up special on YouTube, The Pretender.Will has an AWARD-WINNING podcast called Legitimate Likes that you can listen to here, and he does sketches on Instagram.Ed also produces P.O.V., a sketch show that features a lot of NonCensored regulars, which is all on BBC Sounds now, and Sound Heap With John-Luke Roberts, an improvised sketch show.Show photography is by Karla Gowlett and design is by Chris Barker. Original music is by Paddy Gervers and Rob Sell at Torch and Compass.NonCensored is a Lead Mojo production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
[Ad] Support our show and yourself! Go to https://piavpn.com/OTHERSIDE to get 83% off Private Internet Access with 4 months free! This week on THE OTHER SIDE... (Ep 422 w/c Fri 15 August 2025)-- FOUR DAY WORK WEEK! Australian Unions' UPSIDE DOWN Idea to Fix Australia's Productivity Problem-- SHOCK STUDY: UN CLIMATE MODELS FLAWED - Forecasting EXPERTS Warn Politicians: Do NOT Assume Climate Modelling is Right-- DOES MOVEMBER NEED A SHAVE? - Criticisms GROWING Over Movember Charity's Approach -- “VERY ODD”: eSAFETY SCOLDED - The eSafety Commission has had yet another legal loss this year. This time the Administrative Review Tribunal has ruled against it in an action brought by the Free Speech Union of Australia. -- WHY ARE THE MEDIA IGNORING THIS? One of the most serious legal cases in our nation's history - amusingly called ‘Giggle vs Tickle' - was before the courts last week but many major media outlets ignored the story. Why? Help us build a whole new world of Aussie media! Support us by joining THE EXCLUSIVE SIDE at https://www.othersidetv.com.au/Follow us on X @OtherSideAUSSubscribe NOW on YouTube @OtherSideAUSSupport us - Support our Sponsors - PIAVPN.com/OtherSideSupport the showJoin The EXCLUSIVE Side at www.OtherSideTV.com.au and help us revolutionise Aussie media! The Other Side is a regular news/commentary show on YouTube @OtherSideAus and available to watch FREE here: https://www.youtube.com/@OtherSideAus Follow us on X @OtherSideAUS
Bernice Beaufort discusses her arrest over a controversial tweet, highlighting issues of government control over speech in the UK. She recounts her experiences with surveillance and legislation like the Online Safety Bill, which threaten free expression. Beaufort reflects on support from the Free Speech Union during her ordeal and critiques the authority of regulators like Ofcom over public discourse. She warns of a new “information unit” monitoring sensitive topics and underscores the broader implications for civil liberties as both the UK and US grapple with free speech challenges. Connect with Hearts of Oak...
Toby Young is a British journalist, social commentator, and political activist known for his outspoken views and involvement in education and free speech advocacy. Founder of the Free Speech Union - https://freespeechunion.org/ Follow Toby: X - https://x.com/toadmeister Triggernometry is proudly independent. Thanks to the sponsors below for making that possible: - Protect your wealth with The Pure Gold Company. Get your free investor guide at https://pure-gold.co/trigger - Go to https://shipstation.com and use code TRIGGER to sign up for your FREE trial. - Shopify! Sign up for a £1 per month trial at https://www.shopify.co.uk/trigger/ Join our exclusive TRIGGERnometry community on Substack! https://triggernometry.substack.com/ OR Support TRIGGERnometry Here: Bitcoin: bc1qm6vvhduc6s3rvy8u76sllmrfpynfv94qw8p8d5 Shop Merch here - https://www.triggerpod.co.uk/shop/ Advertise on TRIGGERnometry: marketing@triggerpod.co.uk Find TRIGGERnometry on Social Media: https://twitter.com/triggerpod https://www.facebook.com/triggerpod/ https://www.instagram.com/triggerpod/ About TRIGGERnometry: Stand-up comedians Konstantin Kisin (@konstantinkisin) and Francis Foster (@francisjfoster) make sense of politics, economics, free speech, AI, drug policy and WW3 with the help of presidential advisors, renowned economists, award-winning journalists, controversial writers, leading scientists and notorious comedians. 00:00 Introduction 07:34 The Free Speech Guardrails Of The Bill 11:39 Removing Anonymity On The Internet 19:27 Are You Concerned This Is Just A Way Of Censoring People? 29:29 The Left's Instinct Is To Keep People Safe 37:06 Peter Kyle Saying Nigel Farage Is On The Side Of Jimmy Saville 42:06 You Won't Be Able To Suppress People's Concerns About Illegal Migration 43:44 The Government Is Demanding Access To Messaging Apps Like WhatsApp And Signal 49:30 The Difference Between Tolerance And Respect 54:47 Blasphemy Laws 59:42 The Free Speech Union's Case Load 01:03:43 What's The One Thing We're Not Talking About That We Really Should Be? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How gender ideology affects young women navigating university life — from institutional policy to free speech and female dignity.
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
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.
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/
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.
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: