Free speech is an essential right in society. The UK has a historic reputation for being a place where diverse views can be held without heavy-handed repercussions. The principle of freedom of expression is protected both in UK law and under international law.
But there is no doubt that free speech is under threat in the UK. We may not face the kind of horrendous restrictions experienced in places like North Korea, but the trajectory we are on is hugely concerning.
In recent months, we’ve seen a Catholic journalist, Caroline Farrow, investigated by the police for allegedly ‘misgendering’ the daughter of the trans-activist Suzie Green. Apparently, nowadays, referring to someone’s sex at birth is cause for a police inquiry. There was also the case of the street preacher, Oluwole Ilesanmi, arrested in February when preaching the gospel outside Southgate Tube station (front page of en April 2019). He was de-arrested soon after and the police launched an internal investigation over its officers’ handling of the case. When questioned about it, London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan refused to guarantee it would not happen again.
The idol of autonomy in the West
If I asked you to name one of the great cultural idols of the secular Western world, what would you …