Freedom of Speech

Manners maketh Man/Woman/Other

December 20, 2019
Martin Sewell
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At the State Opening of Parliament yesterday, television footage showed the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition leading a long line of their parliamentary colleagues into the Upper Chamber to hear the Queen outline the plans of her new…

Islamophobia definition creates a backdoor blasphemy law: it will be used to outlaw all criticism of Islam

May 15, 2019
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Published below is an open letter to the Home Secretary Sajid Javid concerning the definition of 'Islamophobia' which has been proposed by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims.…

Why are there anti-Christian extremists on the Commission for Countering Extremism?

February 4, 2019
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"The Commission for Countering Extremism supports society to fight all forms of extremism", declares the Government website for the Commission for Countering Extremism. "It advises the government on new policies…

As Britain falls down the press freedom index, the Data Protection Bill could end it altogether

May 7, 2018
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"We note with dismay the UK’s poor ranking in the latest Reporters Without Borders world press freedom index," wrote Jodie Ginsberg, CEO if Index on Censorship, in a letter to…

jo johnson freedom of speech universities

Jo Johnson’s muddled and aimless thinking about freedom of speech in universities

December 28, 2017
130 Comments

Universities Minister Jo Johnson delivered a much-trailed (..and here, here, here...) speech about the imperative of academic freedom of speech, which he says must be guaranteed on pain of universities…

Donald Trump is no neo-Nazi sympathiser: he’s just not a very good politician

August 17, 2017
175 Comments

This is a guest post by Martin Sewell, a retired solicitor. ______ When the USA elected Donald Trump to be their new President, it was, to a significant degree, because…

LGBT Pride London: police attempt to remove ‘Allah is Gay’ placards for causing offence

July 16, 2017
483 Comments

"Pride is full of placards saying 'God is Gay', 'Jesus had two fathers', as well as those mocking the church and priests and pope," writes Maryam Namazie, spokeswoman for the…

Tory MP hates social media: “It gives a voice to people who don’t deserve one”

June 30, 2017
90 Comments

Gary Streeter is the Conservative MP for South West Devon. He is a committed Christian who helped found the Conservative Christian Fellowship. He now chairs the cross-party group Christians in…

As Theresa May preaches freedom to proclaim faith in Christ, street preachers are convicted of a public order offence

March 1, 2017
464 Comments

"How refreshing to hear a Prime Minister talk about their Christian faith, and sound like they mean it," writes Tim Stanley in the Telegraph. He continues: At a Downing Street…

Is it wrong to judge a blog by the comments it attracts?

January 9, 2017
539 Comments

"I guess I find it hard to take that particular blog very seriously really," wrote the Rev'd Canon Andrew Godsall, ministry development adviser in the Diocese of Exeter, of the…

Louis Smith is threatened and suspended for mocking Islam, and Theresa May preaches tolerance, balance and responsibility

November 3, 2016
103 Comments

This wasn't the first time that four-time Olympic medallist Louis Smith had been rebuked by his professional association British Gymnastics for breaching their Standards of Conduct. So when a video…

Catholics for Trump: “We are in a battle for the soul of America”

October 2, 2016
240 Comments

The Lord has chosen Donald Trump as the next president of the United States. At least Donald Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen believes so. Perhaps if you were Donald Trump's lawyer…

There's nothing British about banning the burqa

August 9, 2016
394 Comments

Not content with a "total ban" on Muslim schools, Ukip leadership candidate Lisa Duffy now wants to ban Muslims from wearing burqas; those Darth Vader-like cloaks which some Muslims…

While Erdoğan seizes churches, Cameron fights for Turkey to join the EU

April 25, 2016
194 Comments

David Cameron has pledged to fight for Turkey to be admitted to the European Union. This, he avers, would place them at "the top table of European politics", where,…

Welby defends the right to offend – kind of

February 5, 2016
328 Comments

During a House of Lords debate on the question of 'Islam: Extremism', the Archbishop of Canterbury interjected in defence of the right to offend. He said: My Lords, it…

Donald Trump is an ignorant chump, but banning him from Britain would be an offence against freedom

December 9, 2015
396 Comments

Say what you will, write as you want, think what you like, but Donald Trump is on the demotic ascendant and is currently in pole position to win the…

Cinema Lord's Prayer 'ban' was a retroactive policy to chuck the Church of England

November 25, 2015
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Today the General Synod debates the public perceptions of Jesus (GS Misc 1126): What do people in this nation know and believe about Jesus? What do they really think…

Lord's Prayer advert banned by cinemas

November 22, 2015
219 Comments

Cinemas are private establishments, and so are free to advertise whatever they like and decline to advertise whatever they don't like. Pearl & Dean dominated cinema advertising in the…

Rev'd Barry Trayhorn "forced to resign" as prison worker – for quoting the Bible in chapel

November 2, 2015
462 Comments

HMP Littlehey is a 'Category C' men's prison ("Those who cannot be trusted in open conditions but who are unlikely to try to escape") and Young Offender Institute near…

Warwick University Student Union incites hatred by banning criticism of Islam

September 27, 2015
112 Comments

The timeline: 1. Warwick Atheists, Secularists and Humanists (WASH) applies to have Maryam Namazie – a prominent, intelligent, secularist political activist – speak at the university. 2. Warwick University…