What is “Britishness”?

Part 10: Free speech

Free speech is a right that should never be taken for granted. Our ability to speak out and debate matters that concern us can be limited in many ways, particularly where appropriately facilitated environments and frameworks do not exist in the public space. Photo by ocusfocus on 123RF.

Britain has long been held up as a bastion of free speech. Free speech is vital to a healthy democracy, by enabling the powerful to be held to account. It also underpins other civil liberties such as the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. The growth of social media over the past decade means that on the face…