As Toby Young should know, your commitment to free speech isn’t shown by how well you defend those whose speech you agree with, but how you defend those whose speech you don’t. When his ‘free speech union’ talks about the excesses of the Prevent programme, then see. 1/4
...but whilst, like many on the right who claim to be free speech champions, the focus is entirely on attacking their enemies - particularly those on the left who they see as shutting down free speech - this should be seen as purely political, not about free speech. 2/4
And *anyone* who portrays free speech as simple either doesn’t understand it or is lying to you. Free speech is complicated, nuanced and messy. There are always limitations - whether theoretical or practical. Is free speech just ‘who shouts loudest’? No. 3/4
To create the environment where people can speak and people can listen, you sometimes have to restrict others from speaking at the same time. It’s all too often about power: and Toby Young is mostly about protecting the already powerful. That’s not a good sign. 4/4
P.S. I suspect that poor, free-speech-restricted-Toby, will have to restrict the launch of his ‘free speech union’ to only several national newspapers, national and international broadcasters and million-follower-social media accounts. Poor dear has no platforms at all.
P.P.S. If you find your cause being used by Toby Young, be very careful. The enemy of your enemy is not your friend. Allying with a scorpion does not often produce the greatest of outcomes.
