The FSU launched in February, with Mr Young as Director, and already has accumulated over 2,700 members. The group aims to act as a counterweight to what it sees as attacks on free speech, offering political and if necessary legal support to its members who believe their rights have been infringed.

Speaking to Express.co.uk Mr Young said: “I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much interest there’s been.

“We launched in late February and already have 2,700 plus members, lots of really good people have joined our legal advisory council – for instance a retired High Court judge.

“It feels almost as though there was an army out there just waiting for the trumpet call, ready to spring up and defend free speech, and I hope now we’re going to make some gains.”

Full membership of the FSU costs £49.95 a year, with a discounted rate of £24.95 for students and retirees.

The group lists as members of its advisory council academics and writers including David Goodhart, Claire Fox, David Starkey and Matt Ridley.

According to Mr Young the threats to free speech in Britain have shifted over time, and now primarily originate on the political left.

Asked what the biggest threat to free speech is he replied: “I think over time it’s changed.

“Back in the 1950s the enemies of free speech were broadly speaking on the right.

“People like Mary Whitehouse, people like the Lord Chancellor who banned Lady Chatterley’s Lover.

“But now its undoubtably true that there seems to be less understanding of the importance of free speech on the left than on the right.”

Mr Young linked this threat to the ‘capture’ of various civil society bodies by left-leaning groups he believes don’t respect free speech.

He said: “Across society there is less and less tolerance for dissent from a fairly narrow range of prevailing orthodoxies most of which are quite progressive.

DON’T MISS

Labour returns to ‘bleating on’ about ‘chaotic’ Brexit [EUROPE]
Sturgeon blasted for Scotland’s poor position to succeed post-Brexit [SHOCK]
Britons furious at calls for Labour to lead country with Tories [ANGER]

“I think that’s partly because lots of left-wing lobby groups have succeeded in capturing various different state institutions.

“That doesn’t just apply to the police; it applies to the Home Office, the Department of Education and the Crowd Prosecution Service.

“It’s just shocking the extent to which the state is taking on the role of policing our thoughts and punishing our wrong think.”

Mr Young argued a section of the left is undermining free speech to entrench their positions within certain public institutions.

He commented: “It’s possible that if, instead of the left being dominant in universities the right were dominant in universities, they might be less enthusiastic about free speech than they are now but I think that’s doubtful.

“I think the reason the left isn’t as enthusiastic about free speech as it might be in some cases is a straightforward power play.

“They’re dominant, they’re in a position to restrict their ideological opponents from mounting intellectual challenges so they’re exercising that power in order to entrench their ideological hegemony.”

Mr Young argued conservative parties across the western world have been failing to uphold free speech, even if it’s their supporters who are primarily affected by its infringement.

He claimed: “There doesn’t seem to be much evidence that conservative parties that have consistently been winning elections across Europe and in the United States have any real appreciation of free speech either.

“Even though politically the right has been on the winning side nonetheless free speech has been consistently and gradually eroded across the Anglosphere.

“So winning the battle at the ballot box doesn’t seem to be sufficient.”  

Source: Read Full Article