That’s Debatable!

Jack Anderton: Debating society BANS Reform UK

Jack Anderton is a political campaigner and adviser for Reform UK. Bangor University Debating and Political Society refused his request to speak and debate with students as part of his 'A New Dawn' tour, claiming that Reform UK members and representatives were "racist" "homophobic" and "transphobic". #reformuk #freespeech #university #cancelculture
Jack's events: https://jackanderton.com/events/
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David Rose - Why Labour's 'Islamophobia' definiton is WAY worse than you thought...

David Rose is the Free Speech Union's Director of Research and Policy. His report on the Islamophobia working group has revealed that every single member has connections with Islamist organisations. #islam #freespeech #labour
READ THE REPORT IN FULL: https://freespeechunion.org/anti-free-speech-hostility-islamophobia.pdf
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Toby Young: The unintended consequences for free speech if Peter Mandelson’s title is stripped

The Peter Mandelson scandal is unfolding, and the Labour government are drafting legislation to grant themselves the power to strip Lord Mandelson of his title. Seems justifiable.
But could this have huge unintended consequences for all members of the House of Lords?
Founder and General Secretary of the Free Speech Union, and Conservative Peer, Toby Young thinks so.
#mandelson #labour #cancelculture
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Why an ‘Islamophobia’ definition will censor the truth about grooming gangs — Charlie Peters

Charlie Peters is GB News’ National Reporter and an investigative journalist. He has extensively covered the grooming gangs scandal in the face of accusations of Islamophobia and racism. In this episode we discussed why the proposed ‘Islamophobia’ definition is dangerous for crucial work such as Charlie’s. 
 
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Charlie’s groundbreaking documentary for GB News: https://youtu.be/VAGk2mvgBEk?si=kY9hv5qmFuHN8unM
 
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Vibe-shift: it’s the twilight years for politics as we knew it

This week, Jan Macvarish speaks to Brendan O’Neill about the regulation of Grok, how bad things were on Twitter before the Musk era and whether we can rely on billionaires to provide us with free speech.
 
They then move on to discuss the inspiring struggle for freedom in Iran and whether Brits who support freedom and democracy would be prepared to take to the streets in a similar manner. Many political protests in the UK today seem to be favouring backwards foreign tyrannies or undermining the UK’s civic norms. What’s the correct perspective on the threat of authoritarianism in the UK under Keir Starmer? How do we defend our freedoms without sliding into doomerism? And finally, are younger people defying woke?
 
FSU members can register for the exclusive Webinar with Q and A, 'The Struggle for Freedom in Iran’, taking place on Wednesday 21st January, by clicking on the link in last Friday’s newsletter and watching out for emails from FSU Events.
 
All are welcome at the in-person London event 'In Defence of Trial by Jury' on Thursday 29th January. Click on this link to get tickets. Spiked Supporters should check their emails for details of a special discount code.
 
And viewers and listeners in Scotland should come to the Free Speech Union’s Glasgow Roadshow on Friday 13th February. Tickets can be purchased here.

ARRESTED for talking about puberty blockers: Lois McLatchie Miller

Lois McLatchie Miller is a free speech campaigner and a Christian writer and commentator. In 2025 she was arrested by fourteen police officers in Brussels, alongside Bill Board Chris, for wearing a signs that read “children cannot consent to puberty blockers” and “children are never born in the wrong body”. 
 
Follow Lois on X: https://x.com/LoisMcLatch
Lois’ substack: https://tradical.substack.com/
Lois’ arrest: https://x.com/LoisMcLatch/status/1931484693322416199?s=20
 
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The most INVESTIGATED man in County Durham – Darren Grimes

Darren Grimes is the Reform UK deputy leader of County Durham County Council.  Since Reform was elected to Durham County Council in May, there have been 172 complaints about councillors, with 34 leading to taxpayer-funded investigations. 21 of the complaints were against Darren Grimes.
 
Darren subsequently amended the constitution to protect freedom of speech. The amendments were inspired by the FSU code of conduct for elected members that will protect their freedom of expression which Bromley Council has also adopted. It says “the right to freedom of speech under the law is the basis of democracy and will be upheld at all times and there is no right to be offended by any lawful expression”. 
 
The amendment has been met with backlash from opposition councillors who have branded the protection of freedom of speech as a dangerous move, with one even arguing that it "encourages real violence”...
 
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COMING BACK FROM CANCELLATION with Kate Clanchy

In 2021, the award-winning author, teacher and poet Kate Clanchy suffered one of the most public and aggressive cancellations in the cultural world. In a series of vicious attacks, online critics accused her bestselling memoir, Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me, of ‘racism’ and ‘ablism’, provoking an unprecedented pile-on. Shamefully, her own publishers, Picador, sided with the accusers.
A new seven-part podcast, Anatomy of a Cancellation, has been acclaimed for its in-depth analysis of the whole Salem-like affair, in this interview, the FSU’s Jan Macvarish asks Kate for her reflections on the story it tells. How has she survived the almost total destruction of her reputation? Books on cancellation that are mentioned in the interview include Helen Garner’s The First Stone, Mark Lawson’s The Allegations and Phillip Roth’s The Human Stain. 
You can read more of Kate’s most recent writing here.  

Disciplined for telling the truth at the BBC – Cath Leng

Cath Leng is a former BBC journalist who has spoken out amidst the BBC bias scandal. Disciplined for raising serious concerns about lack of impartiality on the reporting of transgender stories and censorship of gender critical perspectives, Leng reveals how she was forced out of the BBC for simply doing her job. Speaking to External Affairs Officer Connie Shaw, they explore why balanced and impartial broadcasting is essential for public discourse and debate. 
 
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"It was like a HORROR film!" Maxie Allen

Watch Connie Shaw speak to Times Radio producer Maxie Allen who reveals the behind the scenes of his and his partner’s arrest for private WhatsApps. With the help of the Free Speech Union, Maxie and his partner Rosalind have received £20,000 in compensation from Hertfordshire Police who have admitted to wrongful arrest. 
 
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