Timmers @CruddasTim

📣🚨The Free Speech Union is mounting a legal challenge against the Government over its official definition of Islamophobia — now repackaged as 'anti-Muslim hatred' — and its appointment of a new 'tsar' to punish people who fall foul of it. This amounts to a Muslim blasphemy law via the back door. The definition is vague and subjective, and will be weaponised to silence legitimate criticism and debate about Islam, Muslims, and Islamic practices and history. The FSU’s General Secretary, Lord Young of Acton, said: “This is the most serious threat to free speech the Government has come up with so far — the only area in which it’s achieving any success. “If we don’t win this fight, tens of thousands of people a year could lose their jobs at the say-so of a Labour-appointed ‘tsar’. It’s dystopian.” Public bodies will adopt this definition — despite it being non-statutory — with the same zeal the police have shown in investigating and recording non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs). It is predicted by one of the drafters of the definition that it could lead to around 20,000 reports of 'anti-Muslim hostility' a year. At present, the number of recorded anti-Muslim hate crimes is around 4,000. In a free society, no religion should be shielded from legitimate criticism. This proposal places one faith above the rest. The Free Speech Union is bringing a legal challenge on two grounds. First, the definition relies on nebulous, legally undefined terms such as “negative and prejudicial stereotyping of Muslims”, making it incoherent and irrational — and ripe for weaponisation. Second, adopting such a definition cuts across legislation already enacted by Parliament and therefore breaches the public law principle known as “occupying the field”. Under this established public law doctrine, new regulations, put in place by ministers, must not replace existing legislation. It is constitutionally unlawful. In this case, the body responsible for protecting Muslims from discrimination is the Equality and Human Rights Commission, not an anti-Muslim hostility 'tsar'. Parliament voted to abolish blasphemy laws 18 years ago. We can't let this Government resurrect them via the back door. This is one of the biggest battles the Free Speech Union has ever taken on in its six years — and we need your help. Judicial reviews are expensive, but this is a fight we felt we had to take on. Donate to our crowdfunder below👇

🚨 BREAKING: Hamit Coskun has won his case in the High Court The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) relentlessly pursued Hamit Coskun for burning a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish Consulate in London. They have failed. But this is not the end. Since Keir Starmer became Prime Minister, three men have been prosecuted for burning copies of the Quran. The Free Speech Union has represented all three. That is why we need your support. Despite our victory in Hamit’s case, the CPS is still prosecuting another FSU member. On 1 February 2025, Martin Frost set fire to a copy of the Quran in Manchester city centre. Police quickly arrived. He told officers he was demonstrating solidarity with Salwan Momika, an anti-Islam activist in Sweden who was murdered after burning a Quran. Like Hamit, Martin was charged under the Public Order Act 1986. We believe Martin’s case should be thrown out. Parliament abolished blasphemy laws in 2008. Blasphemy is not an offence in English law. In Hamit’s case, the High Court was clear: public order laws cannot be twisted to reintroduce blasphemy by the back door. Yet the CPS appears determined to press ahead. In Hamit’s case, it instructed one of the most expensive KCs in the country and secured a conviction before we overturned it in the High Court. We must be prepared to fight again. Martin’s trial is listed at Manchester Crown Court for 13–15 November 2027. We may succeed in getting the case dismissed — but we need your help. We do not know why there has been a surge in arrests for Quran burning over the past year. But we do know this: no government should use public order law to enforce religious blasphemy codes. In a free society, no religion is beyond criticism. We are standing with Martin and others for their right to speak freely. If you can, please donate to help us stop the revival of Britain’s blasphemy laws via the back door 👇

@Rich_Cooke1 @PFEW_HQ @mpfchairman @The_NPA_UK Excellent, well done. What clowns they are.

@Woodmoose A brave fight well fought and won 🏅

🚨 The number of cases the Free Speech Union has fought since it was founded in February 2020 is now over 5,000. We get around 75 requests a week for help. Where those cases have reached a conclusion, we’ve been successful about 80% of the time. People often think those targeted for cancellation, or mobbed and silenced on social media, are high-profile figures — but they’re not. The vast majority of the people we help are simply getting on with their lives: NHS workers, supermarket workers, university students, veterans and parents. If you’re worried that you might get into trouble at work, at university, or in your day-to-day life, join the Free Speech Union. We are your best defence. Join the Free Speech Union below 👇

🚨🚨🚨BREAKING: An American cancer patient and Trump supporter was confronted by British police and told to apologise for her online posts or face an investigation. Deborah Anderson, a mother of two, was visited at her home in June by an officer from Thames Valley Police. He told her someone had lodged a complaint about her social media posts. She told him she was an American citizen and a member of the Free Speech Union and he should be investigating burglaries and rapes, not hurty words on social media. Chillingly, he told her he was there to get her to apologise to the person who was offended by her posts. If she refused, she’d be questioned down at the station. What was Deborah’s supposed crime? The policeman didn’t tell her. Was it her passionate support of President Trump and the MAGA movement on her Facebook and X pages? To make it worse, Deborah is in the midst of cancer treatment, including chemotherapy. She ought to be have been convalescing. Instead, she was harassed for her tweets. The FSU took on her case and, as a result, the police have now dropped their investigation. But they still haven’t told Deborah which of her posts got her into trouble, claiming they’ve accidentally deleted the record of the complaint. Thames Valley Police are responsible for guarding President Trump this week. What would he make of the fact that those same officers are visiting the homes of his supporters – including US citizens – and threatening them with arrest.

@NotFarLeftAtAll Yes

@Glinner @SpeechUnion 👏

@TelePolitics Surprisingly lazy journalism from Telegraph given the clarity of the issue. Many congratulations on the nomination. I hope you will accept and use the position to continue your stirling work protecting women’s sports.

@EssexPR 🥱

@Dawn_French Shocking

@TitaniaMcGrath @afneil 😂

@sharrond62 Go Shazza

@rogergewolb ..

@TRobinsonNewEra Will they have time to make any cars?

@FFS_WhatNow @Glinner Please tell me this is a parody 😱

@ThatAlexWoman @AllisonPearson Any other event with this much crime would be a disaster, not a fantastic celebration. Get a grip MPS.

@benonwine Yes

@JoPhoenix1 Congratulations Jo.

@darrengrimes Hear hear