Freedom fighters

The battle for Britain's democratic values

Author

Perspective Media
August 17, 2025

THIS WEEK’S DEEP DIVE
Falling short of the Four Freedoms
BY BORIS STARLING

Boris Starling examines how Britain is failing to meet the standards set by Franklin D. Roosevelt's Four Freedoms—speech, worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. From encrypted data demands to rising poverty and social unrest, he argues that the UK's retreat from these democratic pillars is creating the very conditions that historically pave the way for authoritarianism.

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A nation that suppresses proper debate or conducts debate in tribally confrontational terms is a nation storing up endless trouble for itself

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The Interview: Shami Chakrabarti

Tracing her journey from government lawyer to Liberty director, Shami Chakrabarti discusses how concepts of “freedom” are being weaponised by populists, why tech companies are becoming the new colonial powers, and how algorithmic decision-making represents the “privatisation of law itself”.

www.perspectivemedia.com/shami-chakrabarti

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“Freedom isn't just freedom for the wolf to do what it likes to the lambs”

SHAMI CHAKRABARTI

Unfree speech

Barrister Sam Fowles discovers the irony of the "free speech" movement when he becomes its target after writing about trans rights. What follows is a masterclass in how those who loudest champion free speech can quickly turn to legal threats, harassment campaigns, and attempts at cancellation when faced with views that challenge their own—revealing the selective nature of their commitment to open debate.

www.perspectivemedia.com/unfree-speech

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Stop speaking, stop advocating for those we hate and we’ll stop tormenting you

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