New free speech campaign seeks to combat shutting down of debate

A free speech campaign has been launched to battle the rise in identity politics and the shutting down of debate on ‘politically correct’ issues.

The Campaign for Common Sense (CCS) says it aims to be “a rallying point for people who have had enough of walking on eggshells”.

The group intends to conduct research and host discussions on subjects which are often shut down, such as transgender ideology.

‘Tolerance’

CCS Director Mark Lehain, said: “In their drive to make society more ‘inclusive’, activists are actually forcing people apart and making divisions worse. A tolerance for different views and commonsense thinking is being pushed to the margins.”

a rallying point for people who have had enough of walking on eggshells

The campaign recently published polling revealing that 77 per cent of respondents said that politicians should focus on issues such as public services, rather than “politically correct” issues.

On the issue of transgenderism, it found that 61 per cent of people believe rights for those who identify as the opposite sex are currently “about right” or have “gone too far”.

On the subject of police investigations, 59 per cent said “the police spend too much time investigating things that are not politically correct, when they should be focused on other priorities”.

Hate crime

Last week, a former deputy leader of the SNP blasted the Scottish Government over its controversial hate crime legislation.

The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill seeks to extend the law on ‘hate crime’ against particular groups. The Bill lists these as age, race, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity and variations in sexual characteristics.

Jim Sillars accused Holyrood of “punishing any who assert biological fact” and “abandoning common sense”.