PilotDave

Devoted small c conservative | Passionate advocate for free speech | Believer in individual liberty & personal responsibility

[PilotDave @David_Thurston]

Our Dad did not die of COVID19, the figures have been utterly and deliberately distorted to coerce the public into accepting authoritarian restrictions and removal of basic liberties.

https://t.co/T8QCNR9BSQ

[Toby Young @toadmeister]

Earlier today a @Guardian journalist sent me this query:

Dear Toby Young,

I'm Aisha Down, a journalist at the Guardian. I'm getting in touch because we're planning to report that the US state department is considering a grant of $5m to Free Speech Union, your organisation, as part of a new grant-making scheme, and wanted to give you the chance to comment. We would appreciate receiving your comment by 14:30.

We are considering reporting the following:

- The grant to the FSU is part of a package to Maga aligned groups that former US officials have condemned as a misuse of public money to seek influence over foreign politics and interfere with democracy.

- It is rare for the US government to fund partisan political organisations in western countries.

- These grants are likely to pose a challenge to Andy Burnham, who has said he will be "very upfront" with Trump about any disagreements.

- These grants - including to your organisation - are "sole source" grants, meaning they are to be awarded without any competitive process. This is unusual for a highly regulated process which usually requires grantees to show they have a track record for handling funds and clear plans for the money.

- This lack of process has been criticised as "outrageous and absurd" by former US officials, and as "gross incompetence" and "horrible stewardship" of US taxpayer money.

- Your organisation does not appear to have a track record of handling grants of this amount.

- We describe your organisation as "a rallying point for “anti-woke” grievance" which "frequently allies itself with rightwing causes" and say that you, Toby Young, appeared on Rees-Mogg's GB news show earlier this month to warn about 'Soviet-style' censorship in the UK.

- The state department says that its grant to FSU will “support campaigns promoting free speech and countering digital overregulation across the UK, Europe and Australia”. The sole-source award is justified “due to FSU’s global network of free speech activists”.

We would like to fully and fairly reflect your point of view and look forward to your statement. Thank you,

--
Aisha Kehoe Down
Senior Tarbell Fellow,
Guardian News and Media

I replied as follows:

It sounds like a pretty garbled story.

Free Speech Union International, which is the umbrella group that FSU UK, FSU Australia, FSU New Zealand, FSU Canada, FSU South Africa and FSU Brazil sit within, has expressed interest in applying for grant funding from the US State Department. This would be to promote the right to freedom of expression in those countries, which, far from being a partisan cause, is a universal human right. But it hasn't submitted a formal application and, consequently, has been awarded no grant from the State Department or any other branch of the US Government.

You've mischaracterised the FSUs, all of which are non-partisan organisations that defend people who get into trouble for exercising their right to feee speech regardless of their political views. The FSU UK, for instance, is currently paying for the legal defence of a protestor who's being prosecuted for holding up a sign saying "I support Palestine Action", as well as a protestor for wearing a t-shirt at a Unite the Kingdom rally for saying "Fuck Islam Christ is King". Yes, we helped Lucy Connolly appeal her sentence -- we thought a prison sentence of over two-and-a-half years for a single tweet was excessive -- but we also tweeted yesterday, condemning the arrest of Heather Herbert and offering our support. Yes, we came to the defence of Nigel Farage when he was debanked, but we've also offered to help the Canary in its recent debanking case. So to describe the FSU UK as a "rallying point for anti-woke grievance" is misleading. We are a rallying point for those who want to defend the right to freedom of expression.

Best,

Toby

The @Guardian then ran this story:

https://t.co/1l4K0PABvM

You be the judge of whether you think this is good journalism.

[PilotDave @David_Thurston]

All the lefties and liberals on here desperate to see free speech advocates change their stance when Heather gets arrested for her comments.

But it’s not happening.

Us free speech advocates happen to be principled.

[Lucy Connolly @LucyTCWife]

This!

I refuse to be like those that chose to be outraged about situations dependent on the colour you vote for!

The FSU are absolutely right.

I do not advocate for ANYONE to be arrested over offensive words.

Being offensive doesn’t make you a criminal,

[PilotDave @David_Thurston]

@freddiesayers @ClareCraigPath Whist I’ll bet you’d love to catch out the free speech advocates I think that most will abhor the arrest.

[PilotDave @David_Thurston]

@DanielJHannan I abhor what was said but I’d defend the right to say it. I think you’ll find that is the view of most free speech advocates so you can shove it up your test up your arse you pompous git.

[PilotDave @David_Thurston]

I absolutely abhor what this person said. But I’d fight for his right to say it.

Being arrested for this is absolutely wrong and worryingly authoritarian.

[Politics UK @PolitlcsUK]

🚨 BREAKING: Aberdeen University employee Heather Herbert has now been arrested over online posts celebrating Ann Widdecombe's death

[TIM GOLDFINCH @TIMGOLDFINCH]

This is quite unbelievable

[PilotDave @David_Thurston]

@FUDdaily They made it to the semi finals.

[PilotDave @David_Thurston]

@ClarkeMicah @DailyMail Trouble is that we are fed up with politicians. They’ve proven to be useless.

[PilotDave @David_Thurston]

@ukJ0N @TalkTV This is why I don’t listen/watch @TalkTV anymore. They have a distant relationship with the truth.

[PilotDave @David_Thurston]

@DPJHodges She was forced into the confession by a totalitarian regime which you support.

[PilotDave @David_Thurston]

@TomK_Brit1993 @AlgernonParry He’s not normal. Don’t think he’s wired correctly.

[Lembit Öpik @lembitopik]

Climate “experts” at Imperial College, London, say man-made global warming just killed 1,134 people in England & Wales. I studied their “research.” Scientifically, it seems to be rubbish. I invite them to debate me on TV to defend what looks like total nonsense

[Mark Littlewood @MarkJLittlewood]

This is what socialism is like. This is what socialist newspapers are like. Utterly appalling and dehumanising in every aspect. Thinking this is bad enough. Publishing it is beyond the pale. 👇

[Caroline Farrow @CF_Farrow]

When a Secretary of State’s social media has all the hallmarks of ChatGP, em dashes, stock cadence, neat moral aphorism, you begin to wonder whether there’s a real person behind the account at all. 🙄

[PilotDave @David_Thurston]

@sophielouisecc But that is not Reform reporting Dan Hodges, just some rando on X.

[Andrew Lawrence @andrewlawrence]

There is no scenario where I would call the police at this point, I'd sooner get wanked off by Edward Scissorhands.

[Alex Armstrong @Alexarmstrong]

You shouldn’t go on a show to talk politics if you can’t even handle light scrutiny of your position.

All this has done is suggest the political position held is totally indefensible.

[Chris Rose @ArchRose90]

Labour MPs lined up to pay tribute to Jo Cox.

Parliament used the death of David Amess to pass the Online Safety Bill instead of mentioning radical Islam.

However, Nigel Farage paying tribute to Ann Widdecombe is “hijacking it for propaganda”?

Not having it at all.

[Allison Pearson @AllisonPearson]

Apology not accepted.
Nothing to do with facts. You called that great woman, just slaughtered, an “old maid”, a “virgin”, a “spinster”.
Language which gave away your horrible misogyny.
You would NEVER have described a 78-year old man as “bachelor” let alone “virgin”.
It was unforgivable.
As Ann would have said: “APP-ALL-LLING”!