Rephonic
Artwork for The Free Speech Union

The Free Speech Union

The Free Speech Union
Free Speech Union
Free Speech
Islamophobia
Political Correctness
Non-Crime Hate Incidents
Gender Identity
Freedom Of Speech
Cancel Culture
Higher Education Freedom Of Speech Act
Censorship
Hate Crime Act
Scottish Hate Crime Act
Transgender Issues
Grooming Gangs
Social Media
Academic Freedom
Racism
Online Safety Act
Employment Rights Bill
Public Spaces Protection Order

Welcome to the Free Speech Union's podcast. Listen to our weekly episodes with great guests speaking about the cornerstone of our democracy which is under attack.

The Free Speech Union is a non-partisan, mass membership public interest body that stands up for the speech rights of its members and campaigns for free speech more widely. We champion the right of people from all walks of life to expr... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes100Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsPolitics

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Free Speech Union

Latest Episodes

Leaked documents obtained by investigative journalist Paul Holden revealed an anti-free speech project at the heart of the Starmer government.

In this edition of the Free Speech Union's podcast, Holden tells the FSU's David Rose why he fears free sp... more

The latest threat to free speech on trans issues has been published by the government.

The draft Conversion Practices Bill purports to protect gay and trans people from abuse. It creates a new criminal offence, punishable with up to five years in pr... more

The UK government plans to ban social media for under 16s. Is it digital ID by stealth? The Free Speech Union's general secretary, Lord Young, answers this and other questions sent in by FSU members.

*Will VPNs might be banned?

*Is it true that the... more

Investigative reporter Nick Wallis played a leading role in exposing the Post Office scandal. His BBC documentaries helped uncover the biggest miscarriage of justice in British legal history and led to a public inquiry. Now Nick's turning his journal... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

The spiked podcast
The spiked podcastThe spiked podcast
New Culture Forum
New Culture ForumNew Culture Forum
The Brendan O'Neill Show
The Brendan O'Neill ShowThe Brendan O'Neill Show
Last Orders - a spiked podcast
Last Orders - a spiked podcastLast Orders - a spiked podcast
Planet Normal
Planet NormalThe Telegraph

Recent Guests

Paul Holden
Investigative journalist and author
Author of The Fraud; former Labour Party investigative work
Episode: PAUL HOLDEN: Investigative Journalist on his fears for free speech under BURNHAM
Lord Young
General Secretary of The Free Speech Union
The Free Speech Union
Episode: PAUL HOLDEN: Investigative Journalist on his fears for free speech under BURNHAM
James Esses
Founder of Just Therapy, conservative counsellor and campaigner on gender identity and child safeguarding
Just Therapy, The Free Speech Union
Episode: JAMES ESSES: campaigner, therapist and parent
Nick Wallis
Award-winning journalist known for Post Office scandal and trans debate coverage
BBC (former), investigative journalist
Episode: NICK WALLIS: From the Post Office Scandal to the Trans Debate
Claire Coutinho
Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Shadow Equalities Minister, Conservative Party
Conservative Party
Episode: NET ZERO has become a religion | Claire Coutinho
Lionel Shriver
Bestselling novelist, author of A Better Life
Episode: LIONEL SHRIVER’S chilling warning to free-speech defenders
Rick Prior
Former chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation and police veteran
Metropolitan Police Federation
Episode: POLICE WHISTLEBLOWER: CRITICAL RACE THEORY at the Met
Rob Burley
Former BBC News editor; author of Unherd piece on BBC and trans issues
BBC News (former); Unherd contributor
Episode: Former BBC Editor ROB BURLEY on TRANS IDEOLOGY, Impartiality and Institutional Capture
Janet Murray
Journalist who spoke publicly after her choir was cancelled; gender-critical views advocate
Freelance journalist, previously The Guardian education correspondent
Episode: Dropped by charity for her gender critical views: JANET MURRAY

Hosts

David Rose
Director of Research and Policy at The Free Speech Union; frequent host of the program.
Connie Shaw
Host of The Free Speech Union's podcast; long-time facilitator of conversations.
Toby Young
Host of The Free Speech Union podcast; prominent commentator and author.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 49 ratings
  • Excellent!

    Always love listening to this podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Helenatam
    United Kingdom5 months ago
  • Frustrated

    Nocaponpodsfrfr has written a very thoughtful review which expresses much better than I ever could my thoughts on this podcast.

    I am a huge fan of the FSU and their work, and I really admire not only Toby Young but the team behind the organisation. They fulfill a vital function in our society and we are all better off for their efforts. But this podcast is not a good advertisement for all the team’s hard work.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Tomwoodhams
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Too much Ammo for NazBol attacks

    While the FSU does great work the presentation of this podcast does give plenty of inroads for the authoritarians to review bomb. There are a lot of ponderous references to the presenters’ classical educations. There’s a lot the pointless bob and curtsey of: ‘you first’ ‘no you first’ ‘no you first’. In other words talking about talking rather than communicating. It feels inwardly facing towards each other as colleagues rather than outwardly to the audience. I’d like to hear more directed conver... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    nocaponpodsfrfr
    United Kingdom2 years ago
  • Absolute one eyed rabbit hole of a podcast

    Totally down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theory and it gets worse from week to week. Appallingly one sided - Listen with caution ⚠️

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    MartyFarty
    United Kingdom2 years ago
  • New Listener

    I got signposted to this via another podcast (Weekly Sceptic) after hearing it was now available on Apple podcasts.

    Keep up the good work!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    KarateLass
    United Kingdom3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some critics feel the show can be inward-looking or preachy, and wish for more action-oriented, externally focused content.
Episodes are often dense with policy and legal references, which can be challenging for casual listeners.
Listeners appreciate rigorous defense of free speech and openness to controversial topics.
New listeners are drawn by high-profile guests and timely debates on politics and media.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#95
United Kingdom/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#234
United Kingdom/News
Apple Podcasts
#141
Sweden/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#248
Denmark/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

PAUL HOLDEN: Investigative Journalist on his fears for free speech under BURNHAM
Q: Do you think there's any hope that Andy Burnham is going to be significantly different once he becomes Prime Minister?
Holden expresses skepticism about Burnham prioritizing free speech, suggesting that the ongoing Labour-led policy direction and internal civil-service momentum may persist, potentially worsening online censorship and regulatory measures.
PAUL HOLDEN: Investigative Journalist on his fears for free speech under BURNHAM
Q: Tell us a little bit about your career. How did you come to be the scourge of the Starmer Labour Party?
Holden describes his move from South Africa to the UK, his work uncovering corruption, and how leak-driven investigations led him to scrutinize Labour Together and its influence on party leadership, particularly around free speech and media strategy.
POLICE WHISTLEBLOWER: CRITICAL RACE THEORY at the Met
Q: Do you think the death of George Floyd turbocharged the shift toward equity-focused policing?
Yes. The guest argues that Floyd's death amplified attention to equality-based policies, contributing to the shift from equality of treatment and opportunity to equity of outcome, and notes the introduction of critical race theory ideas within policing.
POLICE WHISTLEBLOWER: CRITICAL RACE THEORY at the Met
Q: So tell me a bit more about why you said those things in the GB News interview.
The guest explains that speaking out was an attempt to highlight the lack of public debate inside the police service about equity ideology and its impact on policing; he describes his suspension process, the involvement of the Free Speech Union, and the subsequent High Court victory protecting his right to express concerns.
NET ZERO has become a religion | Claire Coutinho
Q: What would you do differently in government regarding civil service reform to reduce ideological capture and improve decision-making?
Push for clearer hiring/firing, bring in private-sector experts, foster a culture of testing policies 'to destruction' with external reviews, and ensure the objective remains cheaper energy and better living standards for the public.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Free Speech Union

What is The Free Speech Union about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A provocative, policy-focused show that centers on free speech, civil liberties, and how institutions shape discourse in the UK. Episodes typically feature outspoken guests—ranging from politicians and legal experts to campus activists and journalists—discussing topics like media bias, online safety, identity politics, and government policy on speech. The conversations often scrutinize power structures, court cases, and regulatory frameworks, with a clear stance in favor of robust free expression and accountability. Listeners likely value rigorous argumentation, principled advocacy, and timely analysis of current events that touch on democracy, censorship, and public debate. A notable strength is its ability to pair high-profile policy disc... more

Where can I find podcast stats for The Free Speech Union?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Free Speech Union. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Free Speech Union and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Free Speech Union get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Free Speech Union, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Free Speech Union?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Free Speech Union, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Free Speech Union have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Free Speech Union has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Free Speech Union?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Free Speech Union:

1. The spiked podcast
2. New Culture Forum
3. The Brendan O'Neill Show
4. Last Orders - a spiked podcast
5. Planet Normal

How many episodes of The Free Speech Union are there?

The Free Speech Union launched 3 years ago and published 100 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Free Speech Union?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Free Speech Union?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Free Speech Union from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Free Speech Union?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Free Speech Union. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Free Speech Union?

Recent guests on The Free Speech Union include:

1. Paul Holden
2. Lord Young
3. James Esses
4. Nick Wallis
5. Claire Coutinho
6. Lionel Shriver
7. Rick Prior
8. Rob Burley

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days