Polling commissioned by the human rights organisation Liberty and conducted by More in Common suggests that free speech will be a major concern for voters at the next general election. The poll indicates that many perceive the government's current approach to the issue as negative for Britain.
Three in five people surveyed said that a political party's position on free speech would affect how they vote. Liberty claims these findings suggest that Labour's perceived failure to protect free speech could lead to a loss of votes.
A significant proportion of respondents felt that certain policies and rhetoric from politicians have been detrimental to free speech. For example, two in five people said arrests for holding signs in support of the banned group Palestine Action had a negative effect on freedom of speech, compared to one in five who viewed it as positive. Additionally, more than a third of people believe politicians calling for phrases to be banned at protests is bad for free speech.
Akiko Hart, director of Liberty, stated that the findings should be a "stark wake-up call for the government, which has lost the public’s confidence on protecting this fundamental human right." The Home Office responded, saying that freedom of speech and peaceful protest are fundamental rights the government will always protect, but there is a clear distinction between expressing a view and engaging in unlawful behaviour.