Toby Young: Defending free speech in Canada and the UK
Inside Policy Talks7 Elo 2025

Toby Young: Defending free speech in Canada and the UK

Free speech was once considered a bedrock democratic value. Now it's become one of the most contested issues in our culture-shaping institutions. Over the past decade, debates about what can and can’t be said have intensified across universities, schools, newsrooms, and corporate boardrooms. In many Western democracies, including Canada, speech codes, cancel campaigns, and ideological conformity have become flashpoints in a deeper cultural and political struggle. It's a similar story on the other side of the Atlantic. The United Kingdom has moved from a beacon of free expression to one of the most censorious countries in the western world – with people now being arrested for what are known as “non-crime hate incidents.” To unpack this, Toby Young, founder and director of the Free Speech Union, joins Inside Policy Talks. A well-known journalist, commentator, and author, Toby has been at the forefront of the UK’s free speech movement—defending individuals facing ideological persecution, advocating for legislative reform, and helping shape the public debate. He tells Peter Copeland, deputy director of domestic policy at MLI, that he believes rising attempts to restrict expression are driven by political and cultural elites who have “lost their faith” in liberal ideology and its associated policies, like mass immigration. “They don’t want to be forced to defend it,” says Young, because they “wouldn’t really know how to go about defending it in the pubic square.” Instead, he suggests, they want to “pretend that their particular political position doesn’t require a political defence.”

Jaksot(117)

Empowering First Nations' economic growth in Canada: Ken Coates and Kody Penner

Empowering First Nations' economic growth in Canada: Ken Coates and Kody Penner

Welcome to Inside Policy Talks, where we discuss the most pressing policy issues shaping Canada's indigenous economic development!In this episode, the Macdonald-Laurier Institute's Indigenous Affairs ...

21 Tammi 202531min

Tariffs, Trump, and the Canadian oil and gas sector: Heather Exner-Pirot and Lisa Baiton

Tariffs, Trump, and the Canadian oil and gas sector: Heather Exner-Pirot and Lisa Baiton

Welcome to Inside Policy Talks, the premier video podcast of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. Please like, comment, share, and subscribe!In this episode, Heather Exner-Pirot, MLI's director of energy,...

17 Tammi 202528min

Reclaiming Sir John A. Macdonald for the next generation: Patrice Dutil and Lindsay Shepherd

Reclaiming Sir John A. Macdonald for the next generation: Patrice Dutil and Lindsay Shepherd

Welcome to Inside Policy Talks, where we discuss the most pressing policy issues shaping CanadaIn this episode, Patrice Dutil, a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, sits down with Lindsa...

14 Tammi 202527min

Russia after the fall of Assad: Balkan Devlen, Alexander Lanoszka, and Richard Shimooka

Russia after the fall of Assad: Balkan Devlen, Alexander Lanoszka, and Richard Shimooka

Welcome to Double Trouble, a special foreign policy focused podcast series within MLI's Inside Policy Talks, to address the growing challenge of the Sino-Russian axis of authoritarianism facing the We...

9 Tammi 202532min

Can Canada still build affordable homes?: Tim Sargent and Aled Ab Iorweth

Can Canada still build affordable homes?: Tim Sargent and Aled Ab Iorweth

Welcome to Inside Policy Talks, where we discuss the most pressing policy issues shaping Canada.In this episode, Tim Sargent, Director of the Domestic Program at MLI, is joined by Aled ab Iorweth, Dep...

7 Tammi 202544min

The promise and peril of the AI Revolution: Peter Copeland and Ryan Khurana

The promise and peril of the AI Revolution: Peter Copeland and Ryan Khurana

Welcome to Inside Policy Talks, the flagship video podcast of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.In this episode, Peter Copeland, Deputy Director of MLI’s Domestic Policy Program, is joined by Ryan Khura...

19 Joulu 202451min

Does Canada's lack of an "Intelligence Culture" put us at risk?: Alexander Dalziel and Michelle Tessier

Does Canada's lack of an "Intelligence Culture" put us at risk?: Alexander Dalziel and Michelle Tessier

Welcome to Inside Policy Talks, the flagship podcast of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. In this episode, Senior Fellow Alexander Dalziel explores intelligence in Canadian policy-making with Michelle ...

18 Joulu 202427min

SPECIAL FEATURE - Intellectual discourse in Canadian's public and educational landscapes: Peter Copeland with Christopher Dummitt & Lindsay Shepherd

SPECIAL FEATURE - Intellectual discourse in Canadian's public and educational landscapes: Peter Copeland with Christopher Dummitt & Lindsay Shepherd

Welcome to Inside Policy Talks, the flagship video podcast of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.In this special feature episode of Inside policy, Peter Copeland, Deputy Director in the domestic policy p...

13 Joulu 202430min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

aikalisa
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
politiikan-puskaradio
tervo-halme
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
viisupodi
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
rss-podme-livebox
rss-asiastudio
otetaan-yhdet
the-ulkopolitist
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
rss-tasta-on-kyse-ivan-puopolo-verkkouutiset
rss-kaikki-uusiksi
rss-hyvaa-huomenta-bryssel
rss-kiina-ilmiot
linda-maria
rikosmyytit
radio-antro
rss-polikulaari-pitka-kiekko-ja-muut-ts-podcastit