Christian free-speech cases ‘ballooning’ says FSU boss

The Free Speech Union (FSU) has dealt with more than 100 cases involving Christian free speech since its 2020 launch, and the number is rising. Sam Armstrong, an evangelical Christian, is the FSU’s legislative affairs director.

He says its membership more than doubled to about 35,000 since the 2024 election, followed by further uptick after Charlie Kirk’s death. en spoke to Sam about the erosion of free speech in the UK and challenges for Christians today.

en: Do you have Christians working for the FSU?
SA: The FSU is not a Christian organisation, it’s deliberately non-sectarian. But we have quite a lot of evangelical Christians working for it, in part because of a shared recognition that there are problems with Christians and free speech.

en: Are cases involving Christians rising?
SA: It has grown worse and graver in recent years. Initially the single biggest category of cases was a left-wing woman in her 40s or 50s who had expressed gender critical views on the trans debate.

In the last year, Christian free speech cases have ballooned – traditional street preacher cases; Christians who have either directly expressed Christian teaching or expressed a view on what they think Christian teaching says on a particular social issue; and people who have been bullied and victimised by employers whose policies make it impossible for Christians to be able to express their view faithfully.

en: Is it getting more difficult for Christians to speak freely?
SA: There are traditional street preachers who are routinely arrested and harassed by the police (in over 100 cases where they have arrested someone I think only two have resulted in successful prosecutions).

Councils are attempting to introduce public space protection orders (PSPOs), but not always directly targeted at street preachers. Abortion buffer zones are not just a free speech concern, but they’re a free thought concern (the legal bar for committing an offence is heinously low). Silent prayer is particularly concerning.

And there are currently calls to expand buffer zones to schools. There has been a particular pattern of Muslim parents gathering outside schools to protest sex education materials and the compulsory teaching of sex education.

Perhaps one of the most concerning legal changes is under the Employment Rights Bill which makes employers liable for speech by third parties that causes harassment to employees. It’s particularly concerning for conservative evangelical churches, which often meet in schools, cinemas, cafes and restaurants.

If any staff member at any of those places objects to overheard speech which is covered under the Equality Act, their employer is liable. For example, if the church preaches: “I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” a Muslim might find that offensive.

en: What should our perspective be?
SA: As Christians, we should consider it a blessing when we face trials of various kinds. I dare say a good bit of persecution might do the English church some good given the parlous state it’s in!

The second thing I would say is, nowhere in the Bible or the teaching or example of the early church does it say that facing this kind of adversity is bad for us; or that we should attempt to impose our own speech codes on others. We have truth on our side and we should always, always be on the side of free speech.

*Full image caption: Gospel singers in Leicester, where a 2025 Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) has led to some religious groups receiving Anti-Social Behaviour Warning notices, if, for example, they are deemed to be too loud.