George Orwell wrote “If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.”

The belief that we should allow disagreements about issues big and small without descending to violence or intimidation is a part of British history and culture. Free speech could be seen as the most effective bulwark against abuses of power, with history demonstrating that its denial is both the aim of tyrants, because it stops people criticising them, and an ominous precursor to the removal of other freedoms.

Is free speech currently under assault across Britain and the rest of the World?  How does the issue of free speech relate to organisations such as schools, universities, the arts, the entertainment industry and the media?

We condemn all incitements to violence and discourage offensive or personal attacks but and at the same time many hope that when engaging in…