POLL OF THE DAY: Is free speech under threat in Britain? YOUR VERDICT

POLL OF THE DAY: Is free speech under threat in Britain? VOTE NOW

POLL OF THE DAY: Is free speech under threat in Britain? VOTE NOW

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Oliver Trapnell

By Oliver Trapnell


Published: 12/08/2024

- 05:00

Updated: 12/08/2024

- 18:53

Is free speech under threat in Britain? GB News members have had their say on the debate

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said last month that the Government is to stop further commencement of the Higher Education Freedom of Speech Act.

The bill ensures that higher education providers and student unions protect freedom of speech and academic freedom and allows individuals to bring a legal case against their institution if it fails to protect their right to free speech.


However, Phillipson says Labour may repeal the bill, which was given Royal Assent in May last year.

Speaking on GB News, Baroness Claire Fox, who is a huge advocate for the bill, said it would have given greater powers to lecturers.

She said: “I think just having a piece of legislation that gave greater power to lecturers, students, people who've been cancelled who are external speakers just to be able to say no, the law says that you must give us free speech.

“That was a great boost for free speech activism. And the thing is, it was a done-and-dusted bill. I mean I've gone through it was months of argument and debate.

POLL OF THE DAY: Is free speech under threat in Britain? YOUR VERDICT

POLL OF THE DAY: Is free speech under threat in Britain? YOUR VERDICT

GB News

“It was watered down. There were attempts at stopping it, there were amendments, all this went on and on and on. And eventually with a great sigh of relief last May, it got royal assent.

“And I can safely tell you it never dawned on me that the Labour Party would cancel it. I mean, I was naive, you know, I just thought that they would accept it. They might not honour it entirely, but it didn't.

“This is a really duplicitous and cowardly act because it was done via a memo, a communique, a written communique at the end of last week, when in fact Bridget Phillipson could have done it in the Commons at the dispatch Box, but she didn't.”

A whopping majority of 99 per cent of GB News members who voted in the poll believe free speech is under threat in Britain.

Meanwhile just one per cent disagreed and don't think it is under threat.

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