Most Britons Think Free Speech Has Got Worse Under Labour, Poll Finds

A new poll for Liberty reveals that 51% of Britons say their confidence in the government to protect free speech has worsened under Labour, with only 10% believing it has improved. Travel bans on speakers and mass arrests of protesters are cited as key drivers of public concern. The Telegraph has the story:

Most Britons believe their rights to free speech have been eroded by Labour in the two years since the election, a poll has found.

A majority (51%) said their confidence in the Government to protect their right to express their views, even if it disagrees with them, has worsened over the past two years, according to the poll for Liberty, the civil rights organisation.

Only 10% believed their rights had improved, with a five-to-one majority expressing concern at the limits placed on freedom of speech by the Government.

Liberty blamed the public concerns on Home Office travel bans for Right-wing speakers seeking to come to the UK to speak at rallies such as Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom, the mass arrests of protesters opposed to the proscription of Palestine Action and tougher approaches advocated by police and ministers over protest laws.

Akiko Hart, Liberty’s director, said Sir Keir Starmer’s government had failed to show “leadership and consistency” on free speech, creating a “vacuum” on the issue as well as fuelling claims of “two-tier” policing.

“The new Prime Minister [Andy Burnham] must see these findings as a warning sign. Free speech is a fundamental right that benefits us all, and a healthy democracy depends on people feeling confident that they can express themselves freely and disagree with each other,” said Ms Hart.

“We’re fortunate to live in a nation shaped by many identities and perspectives which means differences of opinion and views that could upset or offend others are inevitable.

“This makes it all the more important for the new Prime Minister to adopt a non-partisan approach to free speech and move away from greater restrictions.”

The survey of more than 2,000 adults, carried out by Deltapoll for Liberty, found that 42% of Britons said their ability to express controversial political opinions without facing legal consequences had worsened.

Only 9% said it had improved, while 39% said it had stayed the same.

Nearly four in 10 (39%) said their ability to speak freely on important issues had got worse and that their understanding of what is and is not allowed to be said under UK law had also worsened.

Liberty said it was “likely” that government actions on high-profile free-speech issues had contributed to the decline in public confidence in speaking out freely.

These included travel bans imposed on 11 speakers at Unite the Kingdom rallies in May, as well as bans on American political commentators Cenk Uyghur and his nephew Hasan Piker, who were barred from attending the SXSW London festival and addressing the Oxford Union in June.

Worth reading in full.