The Labour Government promised to tread more lightly on our lives when it came to power in 2024. That was a lie. Look at what it has done. 🧵 A thread

In Britain today, we have a de facto Islamic blasphemy law, ushered in by the Labour Government’s official “anti-Muslim hostility” definition. It is being enforced by the police, the courts and now the Government’s own counter-terrorism programme, Prevent. A programme tasked with stopping people becoming terrorists is being used by activists and extremists to silence legitimate criticism or mockery of Islam. In recent weeks, comedian @JohnCleese was referred to Prevent and faced calls from Muslim activists to have his Birmingham show cancelled over comments he made about Islam on social media. Reform UK Shadow Chancellor @RobertJenrick was reported to the Metropolitan Police and referred to Prevent after he called radical Islam the biggest threat to our country and called for the burqa to be banned on @danwootton’s show. Robert isn’t wrong, is he? Radical Islam is a threat. MI5 has said that Islamist terrorism is the biggest threat to Britain. Restore Britain leader @RupertLowe10 was reported to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards for linking Muslims and Pakistanis to the rape gangs, despite Baroness Casey’s report concluding that Muslim men of Pakistani heritage were disproportionately involved in these heinous crimes. Conservative Shadow Justice Secretary @NJ_Timothy was reported to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards by Labour MPs, branded “Islamophobic” and faced calls to resign from then Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer after criticising a mass Muslim prayer event in Trafalgar Square. Reform UK was reported to the Equality and Human Rights Commission by 28 Labour MPs over its comments criticising Islam and the same mass Muslim prayer event. It was the Islamist website 5Pillars that broke all these stories. A Home Office unit, RICU, has even labelled the group a “subject of Islamist extremist concern”. These activists know what they are doing. The sinister weaponisation of Prevent will undermine public trust in the programme. We must not let an Islamic blasphemy law take root in Britain. Watch FSU Campaigns Officer @MaxHThompson 👇

The University of Oxford has issued guidance telling staff to avoid everyday British phrases and idioms, such as “learn the ropes”, because they might confuse international students. The guide advises writers to use “plain English” and avoid phrases such as “find your feet” and “blindspots”. It says: “Be mindful of idioms that may not be familiar to international readers or that may use stereotypes. Use common words, short sentences and familiar constructions.” Speaking to The Sun, Free Speech Union General Secretary Lord Young of Acton said: “Surely, one of the reasons international students come to Oxford is so they can immerse themselves in our culture and master colloquial English. What’s next? Is Oxford going to insist that all lectures have to be in Esperanto?” It’s time universities paid more attention to their legal duty to protect free speech on campus, rather than policing the speech of their academics and students. Read more from FSU Campaigns Officer @MaxHThompson 👇

🎉🎉 WE’VE DONE IT! The Free Speech Union now has 50,000 members! Congratulations to David, our 50,000th member!

THE BATTLE OF IDEAS HAS BEGUN! The Free Speech Union team are thrilled to be at the Battle of Ideas this weekend! Later today, we’ll be recording a live episode of the FSU Podcast with @_ConnieShaw, @janmacvarish, @DavidRoseUK and @BenBarryJones. If you’re not yet an FSU member, come and visit us at our stall! Throughout the weekend, we’re offering 20% off FSU membership to anyone who signs up at our stall. You’ll also receive a free goody bag packed with FSU merchandise! We look forward to seeing you there! 👇

Prevent has become a complaints desk for the offended. There is now an Islamic blasphemy law in the UK. Prevent, the Government’s own counter-extremism programme, is the latest tool being weaponised to silence politicians and comedians who criticise or mock Islam. Reform UK’s Shadow Chancellor, @RobertJenrick, has been reported to both the Metropolitan Police and Prevent over comments he made about Islam on @danwootton’s Outspoken. Mr Jenrick said that radical Islam is a threat to everything we hold dear in this country and called for the burqa to be banned. He has every right to express those views, as a private citizen and a democratically elected MP in a country that abolished blasphemy laws in 2008. Accusing someone of extremism for expressing perfectly acceptable views wastes and abuses an important mechanism — one that should be dedicated to identifying people at risk of radicalisation and preventing terrorist attacks on our streets. A week before Mr Jenrick was referred to Prevent, the Islamic website 5Pillars reported that comedian and national treasure @JohnCleese had also been referred over his comments about Islam on social media. Prevent should be the last institution of the state to be corrupted by, and kowtow to, activists. But should we be surprised? In 2023, Sir William Shawcross’s independent review of Prevent found a “double standard” in its treatment of the two principal ideologies it addresses. Every hour Prevent spends assessing whether an MP’s television interview is a symptom of radicalisation is an hour not spent assessing people who pose a genuine threat. We know what that can cost: the Southport killer was referred to Prevent three times, and each time his case was closed. Weaponising Prevent does not merely chill speech; it undermines our counter-terrorism efforts and becomes a threat to public and national security in its own right. And it doesn’t stop with Prevent. The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner has also been weaponised by activists to silence MPs such as @NJ_Timothy, who criticised a mass Muslim prayer event in Trafalgar Square, and @RupertLowe10, who — like Baroness Casey in her report — has highlighted the links between people of Pakistani and Muslim heritage and the grooming-gangs scandal. We must not let an Islamic blasphemy law take root in Britain. Read more from FSU Campaigns Officer @MaxHThompson 👇

The police watchdog has found that the Met may have unfairly arrested Graham Linehan because of his gender-critical beliefs. Last September, the Irish comedian was arrested at Heathrow by five armed police officers, then detained and questioned. His blood pressure rose so dangerously high that he needed treatment at A&E. His “crime”? Three gender-critical posts on X. With support from the Free Speech Union, @Glinner sent the Met a pre-action letter arguing that his arrest was unlawful. The force apologised publicly and paid him £25,000 in compensation. Graham also complained to the Met’s Director of Professional Standards about the way he was arrested and detained. The Met’s internal review described its handling of the case as “unacceptable”, but no officers were disciplined. Now the Independent Office for Police Conduct has said the review “did not go far enough” and its findings were “not reasonable or proportionate”. It has ordered the Met to reinvestigate how Graham was treated, including whether he was treated unfairly because of his gender-critical views, which are protected under the Equality Act 2010. This is a welcome development. The reinvestigation will examine whether political bias played a part in the Met’s treatment of Graham — and bring us one step closer to ensuring the police focus on policing our streets, not our tweets. Watch FSU External Affairs Officer @_ConnieShaw 👇

Since 2020, the Free Speech Union has supported people in more than 7,000 free speech incidents. The cancel-culture mob is more powerful and intolerant than ever. If you’re worried about being silenced or punished at work, at university or online for exercising your right to free speech, join the Free Speech Union. We’re your best defence. Watch FSU Campaigns Officer @MaxHThompson and join below 👇

Today in the House of Commons, the Courts and Tribunals Bill returns for Second Reading. This Bill was lambasted by the Justice Select Committee for the lack of pre-legislative scrutiny it had undergone before being introduced to MPs. The Bill is the legislative vessel that David Lammy commandeered for his ’s sinister plan to slash our right to a jury trial. While Burnham has moved an inch, Lammy’s plans remain very much alive. Ministers still believe that curbing our right to a jury trial is still the most eggiecnt way to bring down the backlog of cases in the Crown Court, rather than getting the courts to actually sit and despite having no credible evidence. FSU research has shown that those charged with speech related offences are almost twice as likely to be found not guilty in a Crown Court with a jury than in a magistrates court without one. Put simply more people will be ganged up for exercising their right to free speech if these reforms go through. On Monday, the FSU team will be delivering a petition to Downing Street calling on the PM to drop these plans. Watch FSU Campaigns Officer @MaxHThompson and sign our petition below 👇

Reform UK’s Shadow Chancellor has been reported to the police and Prevent over his comments on Islam. There can be no doubt that a de facto Islamic blasphemy law is operating in Britain today, 18 years after Parliament voted to abolish such laws. A week ago, it was reported that comedian John Cleese had been referred to Prevent over his social media posts about Islam. Elected representatives must be free to raise concerns about religious practices, political Islam and the influence of religion on British public life without automatically becoming the subject of police complaints or counter-extremism referrals. Prevent, the Government’s counter-terrorism programme, must not become a means for activists to punish political opponents or silence criticism of religion. Its purpose is to protect people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism, not to police the boundaries of acceptable political or theological debate. Blur that distinction and public confidence in one of the country’s most important counter-terrorism programmes is at risk. The Free Speech Union stands with @RobertJenrick, @RupertLowe10 Lowe, @NJ_Timothy and @JohnCleese in defending their right to question, challenge, debate and mock Islam, its history and its practices. In a free society, no religion should be beyond criticism, and no one should face punishment merely for causing religious offence. Read more from FSU Campaigns Officer @MaxHThompson 👇