Majority of Britons say Government only protects speech it agrees with

Most Britons believe the Government only protects speech it agrees with, according to new polling commissioned by the human rights organisation Liberty.

The survey, conducted by More in Common, found that 54% of Britons believe the Government only protects speech that it agrees with which Liberty has said is a “very clear warning sign” to the new Prime Minister and is fuelling “accusations of two-tier enforcement” of free speech laws.

Liberty highlights that this is “deeply concerning” given that the polling revealed that the number one aspect of freedom of speech that Britons most value is the ability to criticise the government and those in power.

Liberty argues that a range of high-profile Government actions on free speech have contributed to the polling results. These include protest restrictions, arrests for communications offences online, the proscription of Palestine Action, and the failure of the Labour Government to robustly defend free speech since the 2024 General Election.

The polling also suggests growing concern that free speech protections are not being applied equally:

• When asked about the state of free speech in the UK, the public’s biggest concern was that free speech laws are not being applied consistently to everyone (29%)
• The second most common concern was that some people are able to speak more freely than others (26%)
• More than one in five Britons (22%) said they were concerned about people being arrested or investigated for things they have said online.

A further 18% said they feel they have to watch what they say in public or online – when taken against the adult population of Great Britain this would equate to nearly 10 million people.

Liberty has warned that if the current climate on free speech continues it will worsen divisions in society and create a culture of “deep mistrust” in Britain’s political institutions to protect free speech.

Liberty is calling on the Prime Minister to show urgent leadership on free speech and adopt a consistent and non-partisan approach that balances the public’s right to express views which are offensive or insulting with the need to protect people from discrimination.

The human rights organisation argues that to do this the Government must apply laws that govern speech consistently across the political spectrum, rather than through heavy-handed policing and greater restrictions on lawful speech.

Previous polling from Liberty published in August showed that a majority (51%) of Britons’ confidence in the then-Starmer government protecting people’s right to express their views had got worse during its two years in office.

Akiko Hart, Liberty Director, said:

“Free speech is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy that enables us to hold the powerful to account, speak openly, and express our differences without fear of state intervention. It is deeply concerning that millions of people feel that the Government isn’t safeguarding that  right.

“The polling paints a stark picture of where we are as a country on free speech – it’s one that is characterised by a deep mistrust in our political institutions to protect our fundamental rights and which is being fuelled by accusations of two-tier enforcement.

“Fundamentally, selectively defending speech will not win anyone over. If anything, it does the complete opposite. It makes our society more polarised and our country more divided. Our message to the Government is clear: defend the principle of free speech across the political spectrum and show the real leadership needed on the issue.”