Labour’s Free-Speech Challenge Ahead of the Next Election

A new poll commissioned by the human-rights group Liberty shows that free-speech issues are shaping voter attitudes as the United Kingdom heads toward the next general election. Three-in-five respondents say a party’s position on free speech will influence how they vote. The survey also reveals that arrests of demonstrators supporting the proscribed group Palestine Action have polarized public opinion, with two-in-five viewing the arrests as harmful to free speech and one-in-five seeing them as positive.

The Guardian

The government’s approach to protest and expression has been reshaped by the Crime and Policing Act, which received royal assent in April and expands police powers to impose conditions on demonstrations, including consideration of the “cumulative impact” of repeated protests in the same area. The UK Supreme Court is scheduled to hear an appeal against the proscription in November, with challengers arguing that the ban may constitute a disproportionate interference with Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Guardian

• Sample size: 2,017 adults surveyed across Great Britain between 11 and 15 September (the poll’s fieldwork period).

The Independent

• 60 % of respondents say a party’s stance on free speech will affect their vote.

The Guardian

• 40 % view the arrests of Palestine Action supporters as detrimental to free speech; 20 % view them as beneficial.

The Guardian

• About 14 % (roughly one in seven) believe Prime Minister Andy Burnham cares more about protecting free speech than his predecessor, Keir Starmer.

The Independent

• Over one-third of those polled think politicians’ calls to ban protest phrases are harmful to free speech, while a similar share sees police powers to restrict protests as either good or bad.

The Guardian

• More than 50 % say labeling protests as “hate marches” or “thuggery” has been detrimental to free speech.

The Guardian

Civil-society organisations have criticised the Crime and Policing Act as an overreach that could chill dissent. Liberty’s Hart argued that heavier restrictions risk eroding public confidence in the government’s commitment to fundamental rights.

The Guardian

The poll captures a split view on police powers: a third of respondents deem the expanded powers beneficial, while an equal proportion regard them as harmful. No consensus emerges on whether the government’s tougher stance on protest language improves or undermines free speech, highlighting a gap in public understanding of the legislation’s intended safeguards.

The Guardian

• “The prime minister must show urgent leadership on an issue that is dividing the country, and change course away from heavier restrictions and towards a principled defence of free speech.” — Keir Starmer. Akiko Hart, the chief

The Guardian

• “Freedom of speech and peaceful protest are fundamental rights that this government will always protect. But there is a clear difference between expressing a view and engaging in unlawful behaviour – such as inciting hatred and violence or supporting proscribed organisations. It is right that as a society and a government, we draw that line clearly.” — Home Office spokesperson

The Guardian