Kemi Badenoch Vows to Defend British Values in Battle Over Free Speech
The leader of the Conservative Party has launched a commission to review Britain’s free speech laws – and she’s asked me to lead it. The Mail has more.
Writing in Monday’s Daily Mail, the Conservative leader warned that “offending someone has effectively been turned into a crime” and said policing has become politicised.
She has vowed to fight to protect free speech, and her new policy task force – to be led by Toby Young – will review laws restricting freedom of expression.
The commission is expected to report back to Mrs Badenoch by the end of the year and will look at areas affected by free speech – such as universities, social media and broadcasting – and question whether the rules are necessary, fair and in line with British values.
Lord Young is set to meet campaigners, journalists, academics and ordinary people who have experience of how free speech is being stifled throughout the UK.
His recommendations will form a central part of Conservative Party policy. The Tories will also challenge Labour to put the proposals into practice.
Mrs Badenoch’s commission comes in the wake of the killing of high-profile US conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead last week at an event.
And it follows the arrest of Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan by armed policemen at Heathrow earlier this month on suspicion of inciting violence in posts he had made on X, wherein he said: “If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space… Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls.”
Mrs Badenoch said while “what happened to Charlie Kirk and Graham Linehan are on different scales”, both are “symptoms of the same sickness: a culture that seeks to silence, not debate”.
“Worse, we have a Government that sneers at those who dare raise the alarm about the erosion of free speech,” she wrote.
Lord Young, director of the Free Speech Union, told the Daily Mail on Sunday night: “The recent arrest of Graham Linehan by five armed officers at Heathrow for three tweets mocking trans rights activists shows how urgently we need to overhaul our free speech laws.
“The police shouldn’t be wasting their time on tweets when they should be policing our streets.
“Some of the laws regulating our free speech are over 50 years old and no longer fit for purpose. We need to make sure they protect free speech, not suppress it.”
That’s the article in full. You can also read Kemi’s piece about why she believes we need to do more to defend free speech here.
Stop Press: Read my piece about the task I’ve taken on in the Telegraph.
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A step in the right direction though the Equality Act would need to be repealed or amended, and I can’t see that happening. Didn’t the same Tory government that Badenoch was a member of pass the Online Safety Act? Hopefully our gracious host can explain to Badenoch what freedom of speech actually is.
I don’t think we need more laws, we need fewer.
The simple answer is to do what the USA does but they don’t really have free speech laws as such, just a constitutional prohibition on restriction of speech by the state.
Spot on. Too many laws, fewer needed.
And yes, we DO need a constitution enshrining basic fundamental unimpeachable rights.
Good news Toby. Don’t get sucked into the ‘system’!
Why do I get the feeling that she’s been asleep for the last 5 or 6 years?
All of her actions?
Perhaps her body has been here but her head is back home in Nigeria.
Does anybody else find it strange that the DS team didn’t feature a single article yesterday about the massive and successful ‘Unite the Kingdom’ event which took place on Saturday? I was a bit surprised, or perhaps it’s just me, especially as it went viral and footage was trending in multiple countries. Given what Tommy’s rally stood for and the many speakers who took part, coupled with the whole ethos of this site, it’s disappointing that it wasn’t deemed worthy of any coverage. Just relegated to a couple of articles in the Round-Up. What’s also disappointing is that Farage didn’t make the effort to attend but neither did Rupert Lowe, surprisingly. By all accounts the only prominent politician to attend and speak was Ben Habib. I think he enjoyed joining in with the “Keir Starmer is a w⚓” chant because it’s the only place he could get away with saying that.😁 “One thing I must correct. There were at least 500,000 people at the protest. Half of Whitehall; all of Westminster Bridge; south side of the Embankment to Waterloo; north side of the Embankment back to Whitehall. All jammed packed. And that does not account for all the people who,… Read more »
I thought exactly the same thing.
I didn’t expect any endorsement of the rally from Reform; remember Tice referring to ‘that lot’ on a previous occasion?
I was there in spirit and am ready to defend/champion it should any of my Liberal acquaintances get sniffy about it in conversation.
Paradoxically, most of those on the march will probably vote Reform despite previous slights and I can’t help wondering if in time to come, Farage and Tice will find this awkward fact biting them on the bum rather like the case of Rayner and Phillips fearing to offend their Muslim constituencies.
Farage is in a very awkward place. He knows the Establishment, Judiciary & MSM (including the ever more left wing Telegraph) are waiting to come down hard on Tommy Robinson and his supporters. If that happens there would be a lot of collateral damage and Reform would lose a lot of momentum if they are seen to be closely associated.
DS readers will know it’s a stitch-up, but many millions who watch the BBC won’t. I would however, hope Farage is having quiet words with TR away from the public gaze.
Tommy Robinson’s views as far as I understand them are pretty mainstream – it’s time people on the political right stopped being so defensive. Trump managed it.
The USA is a very different country.
I don’t watch the BBC so to find out what they are saying I have to listen to the opinions of my coworkers and management (state education establishment). Especially this time of year, in our start-of-term training, where we learned that displaying the flag of this country is racist aggression, and that we have the duty to protect our students from conspiracy theories such as the evil racist ‘great replacement theory’.
I’m sure those things happen in parts of the USA. Until ordinary people can speak plainly of these things, we will struggle to hold back the tide of tyranny
Thanks for that shocking information.
And did they also teach you that displaying the flags of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are also “racist aggression”?
But flags of Pakistan & Palestine are ok?
Yes I was thinking the same regarding Reform voters. In my opinion, surely people such as any of the Reform gang, can just see the bigger picture and attend an event purely because of what it signifies and to stand shoulder to shoulder with other likeminded patriots. It’s not like you had to be a TR fan to attend and nobody has to agree with other patriots on every single point, differences can be put aside, but certain high profile MPs could’ve shown their faces and stood proud in solidarity with fellow Britons. I think that would’ve gone a long way in demonstrating how authentic they are. At the end of the day, anybody can say words for the camera or type and post them on Twitter. Have the courage of your convictions, that’s what I say.
I was there the whole day.
“most of those on the march will probably vote Reform despite previous slights” You hit the nail on, Jane.
Foxy Nigel knows that and he wasn’t going to upset those who matter. Those who called him “divisive” when he made the mistake to go near those “far-right football hooligans”.
His aim is not to bring Britain back to its old glory, but to get a seat in the HoL by misleading the innocent (like me) when he promised us Brexit, knowing full well that the Rulers would never allow that to happen.
If he moves to No 10, he will stop illegals, 10% of immigrants (“here you are, I kept my promise”) and he’ll boost the legal migration to fill the gap in Yusuf’s requirements.
To finish with some good news, thank God Toby is now in charge as he’ll definitely outlive (professionally) his sponsor.
Congratulations Toby, we at DS and FSU are delighted.
I was among the huge crowds on Saturday. Really enjoyed it, there was no sign of trouble and I felt safe. However, we failed to get past Trafalgar Square, which was blocked by riot police, although they weren’t armed. Didn’t fancy a rumble, so headed home.
Disappointed about the media headlines claiming violence. I saw none.
It was the same story in the media about all the massive protests against the scamdemic and lockdowns and jab mandates.
It looked amazing. I’ll bet it was an awesome atmosphere and uplifting experience.
“Believe me, to be a part of it was life-enhancing.”
I posted these words earlier today at ‘Freespeech Backlash’ where Saturday’s Rally is being given the respect it deserves.
I didn’t see any violence or even “trouble.” Spent the day at the top of Parliament St.
I made a terse comment in the NR to the effect I was effing fuming. I still am. I don’t know what game is being played by DS but I am getting pissed off big time.
Do you think it’s something to do with Toby becoming a Lord, so now he has to tread more carefully and distance himself from certain ‘controversial’ ( some might say, though not me ) figures, such as Tommy R? Which is possibly the reason almost zero opposition politicians turned up, to disassociate themselves with anything linked to TR…🤔 Quite the dilemma, when you’re also boss of the FSU.😐
Odd that for 14 long serious years all they could do was pass laws against everything we stand for. I have yet to hear any explanation or se any sign of contrition or embarrassment.
The Tories are trying to pretend they weren’t around when all this went wrong g. It was Blair or it is Starmer, they say. 14 years we did nothing wrong.
100%
If they were serious about any of this they would stand aside and let Reform have a go – though they look likely to be pushed aside anyway
Exactly.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2025/09/britain_rises_a_patriotic_awakening_the_establishment_cannot_contain.html
A heartfelt article from Tom Armstrong at Freespeech Backlash. This really captures what Saturday was about. Perhaps Kemi can learn something from this.
Excellent article. Thank you.
Cheers.
Nice article.
Thanks.
Farage has recruited Danny Kruger.
Yawn…
They need someone like Danny, I think, Hux
There are frequent plaudits for Danny Kruger based on the fact that he has sometimes called out things that are wrong or shouldn’t be happening. Actually when he has spoken out he has simply been doing his job. It seems to me that we are lowering our standards simply to match the appalling standards of those currently polishing the benches.
I am not interested in seeing ex tories all over the place. I want the tory party to be wiped from the political scene; finished and gone for good. A party of traitors.
At least Kruger is not suggesting cosying up to the Lying Oaf like the odious Dorries did.
OK, good luck, Toby!
But, we do not need to “overhaul our free speech laws.” We need to completely get rid of them.
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/the-unite-the-kingdom-rally-my-first-hand-account/
Kathy Gyngell, editor TCW was there. Why nobody from DS?
What’s that sound we hear?
It’s the sound of Politicians Jumping on Bandwagons.