Down With This Sort of Thing!

Jan Macvarish is joined by Vinay Kapoor who runs the Free Speech Union’s funding stream for students and young people, the Ian Mactaggart Programme. They begin by responding to the outrageous arrest of comedy writer Graham Linehan by five armed police officers at Heathrow Airport. Graham has not yet been charged but police are investigating him for three tweets posted earlier this year. The FSU is providing Graham with legal support, raising funds with a crowdfunder, and has succeeded in overturning the bail conditions that forbade him from posting on X.   Vinay speaks about his time as a student at Warwick University where he launched his own society for open inquiry and debate, called Warwick Speakeasy. Now that he has graduated, he will be concentrating on expanding the FSU’s outreach to a younger audience through tailored events and by encouraging free speech initiatives by other young people. Vinay is committed to resurrecting the ‘socratic’ approach to intellectual development and public discourse where everything is open to question in the pursuit of critical thinking and deeper understanding. Finally, Jan encourages our viewers and listeners to get their tickets for The War on Science on 4th October (FSU Members can book discounted tickets) and the Battle of Ideas Festival on the 18th and 19th October (FSU Members can use the promo code in the weekly newsletter to unlock a reduced rate). Edited by Jason Clift