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The Free Speech Union

Welcome to the Free Speech Union's podcast. Listen to our weekly episodes with great guests speaking about the cornerstone of our democracy which is under attack.

The Free Speech Union is a non-partisan, mass membership public interest body that stands up for the speech rights of its members and campaigns for free speech more widely. We champion the right of people from all walks of life to express themselves without fear of punishment or persecution. We often come to the defence of our members who get into trouble for exercising their right to lawful free speech, whether in the workplace, at university or on social media.

Join the FSU: https://freespeechunion.org/join.html

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#170
Yesterday · 42 min
TRANS CAPTURE in LibDems: Dr Zoe Hollowood on Liberal Voice for Women's fightback
Connie Shaw speaks with Dr Zoe Hollowood, chair of Liberal Voice for Women. Zoe, a LibDem activist, scientist and gender critical feminist, spoke at her party's 2026 conference. She argued that women's sex based rights should continue to be recognised under the Equality Act. The conference rejected her plea. According to Zoe, most LibDem members and voters agree with her but much of the party's top level leadership has been captured by leading trans activists, some of whom were influential figures in Stonewall. Zoe shares her expereince of fighting back against censorship and discrimination in her own party. #freespeech #transgender Support the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion Follow Liberal Voice for Women https://liberalvoiceforwomen.org/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/LibVoice4Women Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LiberalVoiceForWomen Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/libvoice4women.bsky.social
#169
October 21 · 1 hr 24 min
THE FREE SPEECH UNION SIX YEARS ON | Live from the Battle of Ideas
In October 2026, the Free Speech Union passed two major milestones: membership exceeded 50,000, while the number of cases it had handled since Lord Young founded the organisation in 2020 surpassed 7,000. In this special edition of the podcast, recorded live at the 2026 Battle of Ideas festival, senior members of the FSU team take questions from the audience and discuss the organisation’s rapid growth, its approach to casework and the issue that has overtaken gender-critical speech as the dominant theme in its caseload. Host: Connie Shaw, External Affairs Officer, the Free Speech Union Panel: Dr Jan MacVarish, Director of National Engagement; David Rose, Director of Research and Policy; Dr Ben Jones, Director of Case Management. Follow the Free Speech Union: X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion #freespeech #freespeechdebate
#168
October 14 · 33 min
ANDREW LOWNIE: The Royal Family, Epstein, FOI Battles and Britain’s Culture of Secrecy
Andrew Lownie is the author of a best-selling exposé about the former Prince Andrew. When the FSU's David Rose asks Lownie whether we have free speech about the Royal Family, his answer is blunt: “No, absolutely not.” In this wide-ranging conversation, Lownie explains how access, patronage, legal threats and secrecy shape public discussion of the monarchy — and why he believes his determination to expose the truth made him a target of state surveillance. Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join JOIN THE FSU FOR A LIVE RECORDING of the podcast at the Battle of Ideas Festival on Saturday 17 October in Central London: https://www.battleofideas.org.uk/session/podcast-live-the-free-speech-union-on-the-free-speech-frontline/ (FSU members can get 20% off by clicking on the link in the members' email from 22 September 2026.) Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion Follow Andrew Lownie Substack: https://andrewlownie.substack.com/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/andrewlownie #freespeech #princeandrew #epsteinfiles
#167
October 7 · 36 min
EXPOSED: Flawed Evidence Behind Burnham's Misinformation Crackdown
Is Britain sleepwalking into a new censorship regime? In this episode, Lord Young talks to Free Speech Union policy and research director David Rose about his new briefing paper, Misinformation about Misinformation, and the weak evidence being used to justify ever-tighter controls over what people can say and see online. David argues that claims about the threat of “misinformation” are being exaggerated to legitimise a far-reaching apparatus of monitoring, regulation and suppression — one that could privilege state-approved narratives while pushing dissenting or independent voices out of view. Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join FOR MORE INFORMATION, read David Rose's briefing "Misinformation about Misinformation": https://freespeechunion.org/publications/misinformation-about-misinformation JOIN US FOR A LIVE RECORDING of the podcast at the Battle of Ideas Festival on Saturday 17 October in Central London: https://www.battleofideas.org.uk/session/podcast-live-the-free-speech-union-on-the-free-speech-frontline/ (FSU members can get 20% off by clicking on the link in the members' email from 22 September 2026.) Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion #freespeech #censorshipdebate #internetfreedom
#166
October 5 · 45 min
MAEVE HALLIGAN on trans activism, free speech and campus censorship
The Free Speech Union's Connie Shaw is joined by her friend and fellow activist Maeve Halligan. They met through free speech, gender critical networks in London while undergraduates at different universities. At university, both found themselves at odds with a woke orthodoxy which seemed particularly popular among female students. When Maeve Halligan spoke against trans activism at a Cambridge Union debate in summer 2026, her speech went viral. It was a spectacular finale to her year as founder president of the Cambridge University Society of Women (CUSW). Maeve explains why, even though she lost the vote at the debate, she hasn't given up hope of winning over young women. Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion JOIN US FOR A LIVE RECORDING of the podcast at the Battle of Ideas Festival on Saturday 17 October in Central London: https://www.battleofideas.org.uk/session/podcast-live-the-free-speech-union-on-the-free-speech-frontline/ (FSU members can get 20% off by clicking on the link in the members' email from 22 September 2026.) Follow Maeve Hallgan X/Twitter: https://x.com/@MaeveHalligan
#165
September 23 · 30 min
Trump, Free Speech and a Million-Dollar Lawsuit | Jeff Stein
Is Donald Trump undermining press freedom? Veteran US journalist and SpyTalk editor and podcast host Jeff Stein joins David Rose on the Free Speech Union podcast to discuss Trump’s clashes with the media and the million-dollar defamation lawsuit that could have cost Stein his home. He explains how Substack Defender funded his successful legal defence, why costly libel actions can silence independent journalists and what his case means for free speech in the US and UK. #freespeech #censorshipdebate #pressfreedom Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion Join us for a live recording of the podcast at the Battle of Ideas Festival on Saturday 17 October in Central London: https://www.battleofideas.org.uk/session/podcast-live-the-free-speech-union-on-the-free-speech-frontline/ (FSU members can get 20% off by clicking on the link in the members' email from 22 September 2026.) Follow Jeff Stein Substack: https://substack.com/@spytalk Spytalk podcast: https://www.spytalk.co/podcast Subscribe to the Free Speech Union podcast channel for more interviews on freedom of speech, censorship, media freedom and civil liberties.
#164
September 16 · 27 min
JAKE HURFURT: The Truth Behind the Viral Police Doorstep Raid
A shocking video of police turning up on the doorstep of a teenager's home went viral in 2025. Officers demanded devices, barged into the house, and seized a young girl's phone over an unverified social media allegation. Jake Hurfurt of Big Brother Watch investigated what happened next. What he uncovered is shocking. In this episode of the Free Speech Union podcast, Jake joins the FSU's David Rose to unpack what really happened in that viral case, and how it fits into a nationwide crisis of over 62,000 communications arrests across the UK. Read Jake Hurfurt's report "Britain's Free Speech Problem", published by Big Brother Watch: https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Britains-Free-Speech-Problem-070926.pdf #freespeech #censorshipdebate Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion Subscribe to our podcast channel for more discussions on civil liberties, free expression, and countering cancel culture. Follow Jake Hurfurt and Big Brother Watch X/Twitter: https://x.com/JHurfurt X/Twitter: https://x.com/BigBrotherWatch
#163
September 9 · 49 min
Reported to Prevent, Ousted from Job & Cancelled: REVD DR BERNARD RANDALL
In this episode of The Free Speech Union podcast, Connie Shaw speaks with Reverend Dr Bernard Randall, who underwent a seven-year battle after delivering a sermon encouraging pupils at Trent College in Nottinghamshire to think critically and respect diverse viewpoints on sex and gender. Trent College was a Christian school and had employed Bernard as its chaplain. But the school had adopted a woke agenda. After Bernard's sermon, he was banned from preaching in the school chapel. He was also secretly reported to the government's counter extermism programme, Prevent. Bernard describes years of tribunal proceedings and Church of England safeguarding investigations. And the importance of standing up for freedom of conscience. -------------------------------------------------- #freespeech #censorshipdebate #religiousfreedom Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion
#162
September 2 · 25 min
"Blasphemy by the back door": Ex cop convicted for Facebook post
Stephen Gray, a retired police officer and foster parent, tells Connie Shaw how a reposted Facebook joke led to police at his door, the seizure of his shotgun certificate, a prosecution under the Communications Act and a criminal conviction. He explains why he believes the joke made a political point about child marriage in Islam, why he is appealing the conviction with the Free Speech Union’s support, and what his case says about policing, the CPS and the shrinking space for lawful but offensive speech. Please help the Free Speech Union fund Stephen's appeal against conviction: https://freespeechunion.org/fundraisers/blasphemy-fundraiser #freespeech #censorshipdebate #blasphemylaw Join the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion
#161
August 26 · 37 min
ARDAY AFFAIR: The Press Must Remain Free
The death of Jason Arday has triggered calls for press regulation and censorship, including an “Arday’s Law” to limit the number of articles written about one person. Graeme Wood is a free speech absolutist and a staff writer at The Atlantic. He joins the Free Speech Union’s Director of Research and Policy, David Rose, to discuss the Jason Arday plagiarism scandal, the backlash against journalists, and why calls for state regulation of the press should alarm anyone who values free speech. #freespeech #censorshipdebate #pressfreedom Support the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion Read Graeme Wood's article in The Atlantic: "Jason Arday’s Final Self-Delusion Elevating a fraud is shameful. Exposing one isn’t." https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/08/jason-arday-death-lies-delusion/688311/ Follow Graeme Wood: X/Twitter: https://x.com/gcaw
#160
August 19 · 56 min
CANCELLED for Islam Book Review: COLLIN MAY
Collin May had a successful academic and professional career, culiminating in his appointment in 2022 as chair of the Human Rights Commission for the Canadian province of Alberta. But May's 2009 review of an academic book about Islam was about to destroy his career. The National Council of Canadian Muslims, a lobby group with links to the Muslim Brotherhood, claimed that passages in May's review were offensive and Islamophobic. May was sacked after defending his review and refusing to resign. In this powerful interview, May explains how this resulted him losing his home and his reputation. But the experience also inspired his book about cancel culture's evolution into something even more dangerous: “incarceration culture”. Collin May is now the reserach director of the Free Speech Union Canada. #freespeech #censorshipdebate #cancelculture Support the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion Follow Collin May LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/collin-may-8b52b5/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/CollinM582807 Collin May is the author of "From Cancel Culture to Incarceration Culture: Prosecutorial Democracy and the Future of Cancellation" https://www.amazon.com/Cancel-Culture-Incarceration-Prosecutorial-Cancellation/dp/1680533703/ref=sr_1_1?crid=27W0VIQHAC3K5&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.J8DAk3dQCAmI833r5a1NghwsrksvmTNq7LFkf1yDkmgqYNibkEuMqMHiIspFCvRvclei4HNbZI-Ghqf6UPPnuw.-ckc1S7E8I1Iv10ZwAa51gzhWiIAOK1Gq0azkaovpbo&dib_tag=se&keywords=from+cancel+culture+to+incarceration+culture&qid=1786989661&sprefix=from+cancel+culture+to+incarcaration+cultu%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-1
#159
August 12 · 48 min
An Anthropology of Free Speech with Prof Matei Candea
The Charlie Hebdo attack divided Prof Matei Candea's friends. It also prompted him to embark on an anthropological study of free speech. The result is "Reason, Carnival and Honour: An Anthropology of Free Speech", a book which explores the hidden assumptions behind free speech debates. Professor Candea discusses his book with Dr Jan MacVarish, the Free Speech Union's director of national engagement. #freespeech #censorshipdebate Support the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion Buy Professor Matei Candea’s book, Reason, Carnival and Honour, published by Pelican: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0241711258?tag=prhmarketing2552-21 Professor Matei Candea’s website: https://www.candea.org/
#158
August 5 · 45 min
ANDREW DOYLE: New "Misinformation" Plan By Government Advisors Is Deeply Orwellian
Comedian, author and commentator Andrew Doyle joins FSU General Secretary Lord Young to discuss a little-noticed government-commissioned report on misinformation and its implications for public debate. The report's Orwellian proposals include "psychological inoculation", "pre-bunking" and game-based "interventions" to steer the public towards state-approved political messages. Andrew Doyle and Lord Young also discuss: Why Andrew and Graham Linehan are working from Arizona Government proposals to give prominence online to approved news sources such as the BBC and Channel 4 News #freespeech #censorshipdebate #onlinesafety Support the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion Follow Andrew Doyle X/Twitter: https://x.com/andrewdoyle_com?lang=en Andrew's website: https://www.andrewdoyle.org/ Andrew's Substack: https://substack.com/@andrewdoyle Read Andrew Doyle's Substack article about proposals to "inoculate" us against "wrongthink": https://www.andrewdoyle.org/p/the-government-report-that-wants Read Lord Young's Spectator article on the dangers of policing misinformation: https://spectator.com/article/the-dangers-of-policing-misinformation/ Read the report commissioned by the UK government's Office for Science, "False and Misleading Information: An Evidence Summary and Map for Policy and Practice" here: https://usher.ed.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2026-05/False%20and%20Misleading%20Information%3A%20An%20Evidence%20Summary%20and%20Map%20for%20Policy%20and%20Practice%20.pdf
#157
August 5 · 59 min
LUCY CONNOLLY: free speech campaigner
Sentenced to 31 months in prison for a tweet posted in anger after the Southport murders in 2024, Lucy Connolly pleaded guilty to inciting racial hatred. But should she have opted for a jury trial instead? One year after her release from prison, she talks to the FSU's Connie Shaw about her new life as a free speech campaigner and the author of A Tweet Too Far? #freespeech #twotierpolicing Support the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion Follow Lucy Connolly X/Twitter: https://x.com/LucyTCWife Substack: https://lucyconnolly1.substack.com/
#156
July 17 · 58 min
PAUL HOLDEN: Investigative Journalist on his fears for free speech under BURNHAM
Leaked documents obtained by investigative journalist Paul Holden revealed an anti-free speech project at the heart of the Starmer government. In this edition of the Free Speech Union's podcast, Holden tells the FSU's David Rose why he fears free speech and online privacy could be further eroded under incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham. #freespeech #onlineprivacy #labourparty Support the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion Follow Paul Holden Paul is Director of Investigations at Shadow World Investigations: https://shadowworldinvestigations.org/ He is the author of "The Fraud: Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney, and the Crisis of British Democracy"
#155
July 15 · 30 min
JAMES ESSES: campaigner, therapist and parent
The latest threat to free speech on trans issues has been published by the government. The draft Conversion Practices Bill purports to protect gay and trans people from abuse. It creates a new criminal offence, punishable with up to five years in prison. Minister for Equalities, Emily Bailey MP, claims it won't stop parents and therapists talking openly to children with identity issues. She says it only crimnalises conversion practices which are abusive and which cause serious harm. However, James Esses, a therapist and campaigner who challenges children who believe they are "trapped in the wrong body" argues that the proposed new law puts him at risk of jail. #freespeech #transgender Support the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion Follow James Esses X/Twitter: https://x.com/JamesEsses Substack: https://substack.com/@jamesesses James's home page: https://jamesesses.com/
#154
July 8 · 35 min
TEENS SOCIAL MEDIA BAN - Your Questions Answered
The UK government plans to ban social media for under 16s. Is it digital ID by stealth? The Free Speech Union's general secretary, Lord Young, answers this and other questions sent in by FSU members. *Will VPNs might be banned? *Is it true that the ban won't apply to Bluesky? *How will it be enforced? *How has a similar ban worked in Australia? *Will it lead to more censorship and regulation of the media? Hosted by Jan McVarish, the FSU's education and events director. #freespeech #socialmediaban #digitalidentity Support the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://x.com/freespeechunion Facebook: https://x.com/speechunion
#153
July 1 · 31 min
NICK WALLIS: From the Post Office Scandal to the Trans Debate
Investigative reporter Nick Wallis played a leading role in exposing the Post Office scandal. His BBC documentaries helped uncover the biggest miscarriage of justice in British legal history and led to a public inquiry. Now Nick's turning his journalistic skills to exposing the medical and safeguarding harms caused by trans ideology. But this time, he doesn't have the backing of the BBC. "I got involved when it became a free speech issue," he tells the Free Speech Union's Connie Shaw. #freespeech #transgender #bbcnews Support the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://freespeechunion Facebook: https://speechunion Follow Nick Wallis X/Twitter: https://x.com/nickwallis Nick's website: https://nickwallis.com/ Donate to and follow Nick's work on trans: https://genderblog.net/ Donate to and follow Nick's work on the Post Office Scandal: https://www.postofficescandal.uk/
#152
June 24 · 36 min
NET ZERO has become a religion | Claire Coutinho
Former UK government Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho MP reveals how civil service "group think" stopped questioning of Net Zero. From misleading costings to attempts to silence dissent, Coutinho reveals why she believes the Climate Change Act needs a total reset. #freespeech #netzero #climatechange Support the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion
#151
June 17 · 44 min
LIONEL SHRIVER’S chilling warning to free-speech defenders
Is the 'vibe shift' real? Or are we kidding ourselves that we are past “peak woke”? Bestselling novelist Lionel Shriver joins the Free Speech Union’s general secretary Lord Young to explain why the 'long war' on free speech is just beginning. They discuss *Immigration: the subject of Lionel’s latest novel “A Better Life” and why immigration has become the litmus test for progressives. *The Trans Debate: Why Lionel is resisting the urge to write the "predictable" trans novel. *Ideological Conformism: The chilling reason why most intellectuals choose "ideological collusion" over truth. * Political Violence: Reaction to the murder of Charlie Kirk and the rising temperature of the far-left. Support the Free Speech Union: https://freespeechunion.org/join Read Lionel Shriver’s latest novel A Better Life: https://https://www.amazon.co.uk/Better-Life-Lionel-Shriver/dp/0063482142 Follow the Free Speech Union X/Twitter: https://x.com/SpeechUnion Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespeechunion/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechUnion

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