Category Archives: Free speech

As the SNP’s Hate Crime Bill crashed through Holyrood last year, its loudest critics were the Scottish Tories. To their credit, conservative MSPs were the only politicians to oppose censorious ‘stirring up hatred’ offences at every turn. They listened to the warnings of lawyers, academics, journalists, and campaigners about the potential these vague provisions had to undermine free expression.Continue reading “Tory online safety plans risk same mistakes as SNP Hate Crime Bill”

As a rule of thumb, the Scottish government pursues different priorities to the Tories at Westminster. Scotland’s ruling party, the SNP, is at pains to highlight differences and divisions – to prove that Westminster is at odds with Scotland and callous to her needs. But exceptionalism for exceptionalism’s sake does not benefit the Scottish people.Continue reading “The crisis of free speech in Scottish universities – Sp!ked”

Same-sex marriage could not be described as a central issue in the Holyrood election, having been legal in Scotland since 2014. However, some are keen to make it one. Earlier this week, the Daily Record published a bizarre story attacking Tory leader Douglas Ross for a seven-year-old comment about marriage.  In an ‘exclusive’ exposé theContinue reading “The illiberal attack on Douglas Ross over gay marriage – The Spectator”

In Scotland, the run-up to this year’s election has been dominated by the constitution, coronavirus and climate change. The debates of Holyrood in recent months have simply rolled on into the headquarters of BBC Scotland and STV, to be pitched from studio podiums rather than the benches of the Scottish parliament. The real surprise in Scottish election coverage thusContinue reading “Where are Scotland’s free-speech defenders? Sp!ked”

Scottish politicians voted through illiberal legislation on 11 March that will deal a hammer blow to freedom of expression. A majority of MSPs backed the Scottish Government’s controversial Hate Crime and Public Order Bill which will create broad new offences on the “stirring up of hatred”. Cabinet Secretary for Justice Humza Yousaf hailed the bill’sContinue reading “How the Hate Crime Bill defies Scottish tradition – The Critic”

The saga of the SNP’s Hate Crime Bill is drawing to a conclusion. This week, Holyrood will cast a decisive vote on the embattled bill. Introduced just ten months ago, it seeks to consolidate existing hate crime laws and create new offences on the ‘stirring up of hatred’ against certain groups. These proposals would make ‘threateningContinue reading “Will the SNP finally see sense on its flawed Hate Crime Bill? The Spectator”

During a meeting of Holyrood’s Justice Committee last week, the justice minister, Humza Yousaf, faced an interesting line of questioning from Labour politician Rhoda Grant: ‘Does the Scottish government believe there are only two sexes or does it think that sex is a spectrum?’ A few years ago such a question might have elicited aContinue reading “Scotland’s hate crime bill could land Joanna Cherry in the dock – Sp!ked”

The SNP’s hate crime bill has done plenty of damage to the party’s credibility. But it seems the party leadership is determined to make matters even worse. The Scottish government has announced that it will withdraw an amendment to the bill that would have permitted free speech on transgender issues. This move, a capitulation to activists, putsContinue reading “The SNP was wrong to back down to the transgender mob – The Spectator”

The Scottish Government’s hate crime plans have encountered strong opposition from police officers, lawyers, academics, authors, actors and many others, concerned about a potential impact on civil liberties. Stirring up of hatred offences in part two of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill are massively controversial. These vague provisions cover “abusive” (rude and insulting) languageContinue reading “Free to disagree: SNP must drastically rethink its approach to hate crime – The Critic”