The Decline of Free Speech: How the UK Became a Third-Class Nation

[Social Media]

 

A global index assessing freedom of expression has placed the UK shockingly low, ranking it in the third tier below nations like Chile, Jamaica, and most Western European countries. This assessment, conducted by the advocacy group Index on Censorship, attributes the UK's decline to a “chilling effect” caused by government policies, policing practices, and the intimidation of journalists. As a parliamentarian, I find this deeply troubling and humiliating. It compels us to ask: how did we get here, and what can be done to reverse this trend?

 

One concerning factor is the police’s overzealous recording of non-crime hate incidents. These are not criminal acts and have no legislative requirement but are actions deemed to cause discomfort. Cases include interrogations over tweeting feminist lyrics or refusing entry to a guide dog in a shop. Such incidents underscore a drift toward policing thought rather than crime, a scenario Orwell himself might have satirized had he been alive.

 

The erosion of free speech is also evident in universities, traditionally bastions of intellectual debate. Kathleen Stock, a professor at Sussex University, faced relentless harassment and was forced to resign for asserting a biological reality: that men cannot become women and vice versa. In another instance, the lack of action against extremists who threatened a teacher at Batley Grammar School for showing a depiction of the Prophet Mohammed starkly contrasts the attention given to trivial non-crime incidents. Threatening someone’s life is undeniably unlawful; producing images, regardless of their controversial nature, is not.

 

Equally alarming is the intimidation faced by journalists and public figures. Former Labour MP Ian Austin, now Lord Austin, was interrogated by police for referring to Hamas as “Islamists,” despite the group being a proscribed organization advocating genocidal aims. Such actions raise questions about whether free speech is being stifled under the guise of protecting sensibilities. As MPs, our right to speak freely in Parliament is protected by the 1689 Bill of Rights, but the press and public enjoy no such guarantees.

 

The role of the press as the Fourth Estate is indispensable in holding power to account. The exposure of the MPs’ expenses scandal by *The Telegraph* is a prime example of this. Although the scandal was a painful chapter for Parliament, it led to improved accountability. The intrusion into the home of *Telegraph* journalist Allison Pearson on Remembrance Sunday highlights how press freedoms are under siege. This incident, reminiscent of authoritarian practices, prompted me to raise the issue during Prime Minister’s Questions. Public reaction suggests widespread agreement that police resources are better spent tackling real crimes like shoplifting and burglary, which currently have abysmal resolution rates.

 

Criticism of the government for failing to enforce the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act and the Left's tendency toward moral authoritarianism further complicate the issue. Free speech and press freedom should transcend political lines, serving as tools for justice and democracy, particularly for the disenfranchised. Constituents often approach me for advice on engaging the media to amplify their struggles, underscoring the press's critical role in bridging the gap between citizens and the state.

 

As Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, aptly stated, “The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” These words serve as a timeless reminder of the value of free speech and press freedom, ideals we must strive to uphold for the sake of our democracy.

 

Graham Stringer is the Labour MP for Blackley and Middleton South

 

Based on a report by Daily Telegraph 2024-11-23

 

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

Last desperate flailings of a governmental system descending into impotence. If they can't stop people criticizing them, stop the people saying anything through intimidation.

 

The worst part of all this is that the police have been exposed as government lackeys, and not as the independent, unbiased organisation they are supposed to be.

They can't prevent crime, but they are pretty top gun at harassing people with the "wrong" speech.

[Black arab]

Torygraph blather, right wingers really love to moan about everything , what a bunch of snowflakes 😂

[mikeymike100]

Sterling article and very true. The UK is now worse than China and getting as bad as North Korea as far as free speech is concerned!

[MalcolmB]

2 minutes ago, mikeymike100 said:

Sterling article and very true. The UK is now worse than China and getting as bad as North Korea as far as free speech is concerned!

No it is not.

 

Gee some people carry on with nonsense.

 

i can say what I want.

[Andycoops]

Another reason to continue living in Thailand.

Woke this and that everywhere.

[BritManToo]

20 minutes ago, Black arab said:

Torygraph blather, right wingers really love to moan about everything , what a bunch of snowflakes 😂

As far as I can see the Conservatives are just as bad as Labour for silencing free speech.

And the police always use their powers to oppress the easiest victims (middle class homeowners) with the most to lose.

[jippytum]

The law has turned into being an 'ass' in  the  UK. 

Arresting people for hurting someones feeling in a text years ago.

In the meanwhile Muggings, knife crime and robberies are everyday occurrences. 

The woke brigade have overtaken common sense. 

[BritManToo]

18 minutes ago, jippytum said:

In the meanwhile Muggings, knife crime and robberies are everyday occurrences. 

Yeah, but muggers, stabbers and robbers don't leave their name and address with their victims, so obviously not as easy as calling on a journalist about a 'naughty tweet'.

 

Also consider that many police are judged by clear up rates,

You could spend a week chasing a burglar and get nothing, but two tweets a day (with a 2x 1 hour stop for breakfast an coffees) gets you 10 collars in that same time. 

Edited 3 hours ago by BritManToo

[newbee2022]

3rd class country???

Wow, now I know why Brits like it here. Same as home.😂

[James105]

10 hours ago, Social Media said:

As MPs, our right to speak freely in Parliament is protected by the 1689 Bill of Rights, but the press and public enjoy no such guarantees.

 

Nope, you have lost that too hence why we are still mostly in the dark about Southport.  

[James105]

2 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

No it is not.

 

Gee some people carry on with nonsense.

 

i can say what I want.

 

No, you cannot say what you want if you are in the UK.   Lucy Connolly mistakenly thought she had free speech in the UK and is currently serving a 31 month jail sentence for saying what she wanted to on facebook.  

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp3wkzgpjxvo

[Patong2021]

2 hours ago, Andycoops said:

Another reason to continue living in Thailand.

Woke this and that everywhere.

 

Try opining on some taboo subjects, or blog about poor quality meals/service/goods naming names and see how long you remain out and about in your delusional state. 

[blazes]

2 hours ago, Black arab said:

Torygraph blather, right wingers really love to moan about everything , what a bunch of snowflakes 😂

 

Hahaha555 - that's what we used to call you lefties until recently. Difference is, you lot still are a bunch of snowflakes.....

[siftasam]

Thomas Jefferson was a major slaveholder, of course.

[siftasam]

I NEVER thought Britain would be like this. It's an absolute disgrace. What and how are young English people being taught in schools and universities?

[Thingamabob]

I grew up in the UK in the 1940s and 1950s. In those days education, appearance, speech, behaviour, intelligence, law and order, and humour were all vastly superior to what you can see today. Very sad.

[John Drake]

36 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

 

Try opining on some taboo subjects, or blog about poor quality meals/service/goods naming names and see how long you remain out and about in your delusional state. 

 

That's true. We are restricted in things we can say about Thailand and people, places, businesses in Thailand. But we are much freer to say things in Thailand about our home countries that could get us lawsuits, arrests, or mob attacks back home.

[Nid_Noi]

I haven’t been to the UK since the early 90s. Are they still speakers at Hyde Park Corner?

[scottiejohn]

21 minutes ago, Nid_Noi said:

Are they still speakers at Hyde Park Corner?

It is probably a "cycle lane" now!

[James105]

57 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

 

Try opining on some taboo subjects, or blog about poor quality meals/service/goods naming names and see how long you remain out and about in your delusional state. 

 

Thailand has never pretended to have freedom of speech though so its kind of baked into what we expect when we move here.  The UK though was one of the first countries (if not the first) to give citizens a version of freedom of speech (or at least started the process towards free speech) in the Magna Carter over 800 years ago in 1215.  To lose it and go backwards after all this time is really quite shameful.  

[dinsdale]

11 minutes ago, James105 said:

 

Thailand has never pretended to have freedom of speech though so its kind of baked into what we expect when we move here.  The UK though was one of the first countries (if not the first) to give citizens a version of freedom of speech (or at least started the process towards free speech) in the Magna Carter over 800 years ago in 1215.  To lose it and go backwards after all this time is really quite shameful.  

Freedom of speech or more accurately it's decline has been well in evidence over the past four years and continues. It's those who control the narrative that tells you what you can and cannot say. What is truth and what isn't. Determines if what you say is misinformation or disinformation. Australian Labor Party is trying to introduce a misinformation bill where the government determines your freedom of speech.

[jayboy]

4 hours ago, Black arab said:

Torygraph blather, right wingers really love to moan about everything , what a bunch of snowflakes 😂

 

Perhaps you didn't notice the writer is a Labour MP.

[BusyB]

4 hours ago, mikeymike100 said:

Sterling article and very true. The UK is now worse than China and getting as bad as North Korea as far as free speech is concerned!

 

How ridiculous. Get help.

[herfiehandbag]

51 minutes ago, Nid_Noi said:

I haven’t been to the UK since the early 90s. Are they still speakers at Hyde Park Corner?

I believe that they are still there, for the most part Islamists (am I allowed to say that?) and proponents of any other views are shouted down.

 

I suppose it is a great British tradition which has been culturally enriched.

[James105]

1 minute ago, BusyB said:

 

How ridiculous. Get help.

 

Let's look at the evidence before dismissing this out of hand.  

 

In China you can be jailed for social media posts but it depends on how big the reach is.   The example in this article someone with 2.5 million followers was jailed for 7 months under their defamation laws (something about criticizing the government.

 

https://www.fairplanet.org/story/china-where-a-post-can-land-you-in-prison/

 

In the UK Lucy Connolly was jailed for 31 months for a social media post.  On that basis I think it is reasonable to say that it is worse in the UK than China, but not probably not as bad as North Korea.  

[chiang mai]

4 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

No it is not.

 

Gee some people carry on with nonsense.

 

i can say what I want.

You see, this is exactly the problem, people cannot say whatever they want, they need to think first and consider the audience, context, environment, implications and a whole host of other factors.