Apparently not content with merely policing speech on the internet or on the streets, the leftist Labour Party government in Britain is reportedly looking to pass legislation which would crack down on supposedly offensive comments made in pubs.
The government of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, in its impending Employment Rights Bill, would change equality laws in Britain to mean that employers would be held responsible for their employees being offended by “third parties” like their customers or the general public.
The law would require businesses and public institutions to take “all reasonable steps” to prevent harassment based on so-called “protected characteristics” from happening within their premises, The Telegraph reports.
Free speech advocates have argued that the law would force business owners, such as publicans, to employ Stasi-style speech police to comply with the government diktats.
General secretary of the Free Speech Union Toby Young warned: “Expect every pub in England and Wales to employ ‘banter cops’ who’ll be tasked with eavesdropping on customers’ conversations and barring anyone who tells an ‘inappropriate’ joke.”
Others warned that the law would have disastrous consequences for already struggling companies in Britain. Shadow Business Secretary, Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake said that the “agenda is being driven by wokeness and the unions”.
“Ronald Reagan once said if fascism ever returns it will be in the name of liberalism. The people who are supposedly the greatest defenders of basic liberties and quite happy to jettison basic rights – be it over property, the rule of law and free speech – if it doesn’t accord with their own views.”
The potential introduction of speech police in pubs is just the latest attack on the industry by the leftist Labour government, which is pushing forward to ban smoking in outdoor areas such as in pub gardens. There have also reportedly been some within the government pushing for a new limit on pub hours to supposedly prevent alcohol-related illnesses.
Commenting on the attack on pubs, Reform UK MP Lee Anderson told The Express: “Once again this government are clamping down on free speech and hammering our publicans in the process.”
“With 50 pubs closing every month in the first half of this year, they need more support than ever not this nanny state nonsense.”
There have also been warnings that the proposed legislation would have a “chilling effect” on campuses as universities could potentially face lawsuits if students are offended by speakers who they disagree with. This comes after the Labour government already scrapped legislation specifically laying out protections for freedom of speech at universities.
Legal director at the law firm Doyle Clayton James Murray explained that the new law would likely mean controversial speakers would face even more difficulty speaking to students.
“If we think about a speaker that has been invited – say it’s a controversial gender critical speaker, like Julie Bindel or Kathleen Stock – someone might somewhat disingenuously say ‘I am an employee of this university and I find what she says deeply harassing’.
“The concern is that this will shift the balance away from free speech and universities will be more risk averse as they won’t want to be held liable for third-party harassment.”
