Toby Young
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Director of FSU (FreeSpeechUnion.org) Editor-in-Chief of Daily Sceptic (DailySceptic.org) Associate Editor of the Spectator. Conservative Peer.
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Articles by Toby Young
Academics Back Oxford Event Featuring Nathan Cofnas
More than 170 academics have backed Oriel College’s decision to host Nathan Cofnas, a self-proclaimed ‘race realist’. The event has drawn complaints from students and alumni. The Times has the story: More than 170 academics have backed an Oxford college’s decision to continue with an event featuring Nathan Cofnas, the controversial academic who made plagiarism allegations against Jason Arday before he was found dead.
Beware the crime of muttering to yourself
The Free Speech Union (FSU) has fought more than 7,000 cases since 2020 and, frankly, I thought I’d seen it all when it comes to the police overreacting to an ‘offensive’ remark. Surely, the Met dispatching five armed officers to arrest Graham Linehan when he got off a flight from America for a tweet is the absolute nadir? But no. We were in court last week defending a man who was being prosecuted for saying something verboten while driving his car.
Russell Brand Found Guilty of Rape
Russell Brand has been found guilty of rape and three counts of sexual assault at Southwark Crown Court. Prosecutors are weighing two further rape charges. The Telegraph has the story: Russell Brand has been found guilty of rape and sexual assault. The 51-year-old comedian and actor was convicted of one charge of rape and three of sexual assault after a trial at Southwark Crown Court.
Beware left-wing fake news
We hear a lot from the lanyard class about the harm that mis- and disinformation causes, from anti-migration protests to climate denialism. But they take it for granted that it is always right-wing grievances that are fuelled by fake news, never left-wing ones. Now that the unrest in France has spread to the rest of the Continent, fuelled by misleading claims about school cuts and Israeli genocide, I think we can confidently say that left-wing mis- and disinformation is more dangerous.
News Round-Up - The Daily Sceptic
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the 'climate emergency', public health 'crises' and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
Why we shouldn’t try to ‘kill’ AI
When the late Robert Maxwell threatened to sue me for using the IT system of the European to help produce the first issue of the Modern Review, there was a phrase in the solicitor’s letter that gave me pause. Among the things I was ordered to do was turn over all the ‘computer tape’ we’d used to create the magazine. I puzzled over this with my legal advisers. This was in 1991 and computer tape hadn’t been in use since the mid-1980s. Did he mean the floppy discs?
News Round-Up - The Daily Sceptic
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the 'climate emergency', public health 'crises' and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation. “Andy Burnham refuses to fully back Home Secretary’s migration reforms” – Prime Minister Andy Burnham refuses to fully commit to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s immigration reforms and is poised to “tinker” with them, reports the Mail.
Are we in a global whisky recession?
Is demand for the water of life running dry? I’ve just returned from a trip to Islay in Scotland, which has more whisky distilleries per square mile than anywhere else in the UK, and several of its famous single malts are struggling. Suntory, which owns Bowmore and Laphroaig, announced in February that it was merging the staff of the two brands, with Bowmore ceasing production until the end of the year, and Laphroaig putting its planned expansion on hold.
News Round-Up - The Daily Sceptic
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the 'climate emergency', public health 'crises' and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation. “Andy Burnham ‘apologises’ for PMQs comments about Ann Widdecombe’s murder” – The Prime Minister faced accusations of a “breach of the presumption of innocence” over his remarks at the despatch box, reports the Independent.
Look me up on Wikipedia and see how biased it is
When I read that Sandi Toksvig, the television presenter, is raising money for an alternative to Wikipedia, my heart soared. It’s ‘deeply biased’, she told the Cheltenham Literature Festival, explaining that her new version – to be called Mappa Mundi – would be produced in collaboration with Cambridge University. It would be ‘a home for the vast amount of knowledge that is currently sidelined or deleted’, she said. She’s absolutely right.
Councillor Sues Devon Council After Being Punished for Criticising Gay Sex Stall Next to Children’s Colouring Area in Family Library
A Reform UK councillor is suing his council with the help of the Free Speech Union after being ordered to apologise and undergo training for raising safeguarding concerns about an LGBTQ stall displaying a purple prosthetic penis next to a children’s colouring area at a family library in Exeter. The Telegraph has the story: A county councillor is suing his local authority after being censured for criticising a stall that promoted gay sex.
News Round-Up - The Daily Sceptic
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the 'climate emergency', public health 'crises' and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation. “Polanski and Davey under pressure to resign” – The Green and Liberal Democrat parties are tearing themselves apart amid infighting sparked by poor by-election results, fuelling speculation of an early General Election, reports the Telegraph.
Children will always get around a social media ban
Back in January, I voted for a Conservative amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to restrict social media access for under-16s. After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing the amendment was withdrawn, but only because the government had agreed to do it. Now that Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, has announced she’s going to get on with it, I’m beginning to have second thoughts.
Fifteen Year-Old Reform Activist Arrested After Comparing Tory Councillor to Rent Boy
A 15 year-old Reform activist was arrested by four police officers, locked in a cell and had his fingerprints, DNA and mugshot taken after writing a tweet in which he compared a Tory councillor on Wolverhampton City Council of dressing like a “rent boy”. The Telegraph has more. Fraser, a 15 year-old schoolboy, was asleep in bed when four police officers knocked on the door of the family home, a modest two-up-two-down on an impoverished housing estate on the fringes of Walsall in the West Midlands.
News Round-Up - The Daily Sceptic
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the 'climate emergency', public health 'crises' and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation. “Burnham preparing for May election, claims Badenoch” – Kemi Badenoch is convinced that Prime Minister Andy Burnham is plotting to call an early election next May, reports the Telegraph.
Happiness is a warm rifle
Earlier this week, I made my annual pilgrimage to the Cairngorms National Park to go deer stalking, an activity I was introduced to in the 1990s and quickly fell in love with. There are few better feelings than seeing a stag in your rifle’s telescopic sight, his antlers silhouetted against the skyline, having stalked the beast for several hours, much of it on your belly. It’s a challenging sport and not just because of the physical discomfort.
Cancellation Took a Heavy Toll on My Mental Health – That’s Why Burnham’s New Ministry of Truth Terrifies Me
According to a new survey of Free Speech Union members, being cancelled takes a heavy toll on your mental health. It’s not just ‘holding people to account’. It can cause severe depression, even suicide. From the Mail: According to a recent report by Big Brother Watch, a civil liberties group, between 34 and 40 people a day are being arrested for speech crimes, including making risque jokes.
News Round-Up - The Daily Sceptic
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the 'climate emergency', public health 'crises' and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation. “Andy Burnham rules out snap election” – Prime Minister Andy Burnham has killed off speculation about an early trip to the polls, insisting he can “knock dead” talk of a snap election, reports the Telegraph.
Does Britain Have a Free Speech Problem?
This is an edited version of a speech I gave to a small group of British financiers and lawyers in Dubrovnik yesterday. When Keir Starmer visited the White House in February 2025, J.D. Vance used the occasion to raise what he called “infringements on free speech” in Britain. Our then Prime Minister, sitting a few feet away in the Oval Office, was having none of it.
My valiant attempt to defend the monarchy in Scotland
One of the drawbacks of being a Tory peer is that when I’m asked to give a talk or participate in a debate I’m no longer offered a fee. Before I was ennobled, I could expect some honorarium, even if it was a cursory amount. But as a Conservative ‘politician’, I’m supposed to be grateful for any opportunity to thump the tub. So I almost always say no.
News Round-Up - The Daily Sceptic
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the 'climate emergency', public health 'crises' and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation. “How China’s President Xi Jinping has been dogged by health rumours” – Social media erupted with speculation this week after rumours swirled that Xi Jinping suffered a stroke at a major summit and had to be rushed home, reports the Mail.
Are you the next Glenda Slagg?
Thirty-five years ago this month, I launched a magazine with Julie Burchill and Cosmo Landesman that, despite going belly up four years later, had quite an impact.
I’ve found the perfect school for Harry and Meghan
As the author of How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, I have to acknowledge that I still have some way to go to match the radioactive negativity Harry and Meghan generate with their every move. The Sussexes’ accumulated expertise in committing increasingly nauseating acts of hypocritical entitlement with every week that passes should qualify them both for a Regius Chair in Blithe Privilege at the University of Self-Regard.
How I Fell Out With Julie Burchill
The Modern Review is coming to Substack with an online archive plus new original content. Read about how the famed 'low culture' magazine came crashing down when Julie Burchill plotted a coup with her new lesbian lover. The Modern Review, the famed ‘low culture’ magazine I set up with Julie Burchill in the 1990s, is coming to Substack with an online archive plus new original content.
The Jason Arday review already knows who to blame
In case you were in any doubt that Cambridge University’s ‘independent review’ into the Jason Arday affair will blame the media for his death, the appointment of Nazir Afzal OBE as chair confirms it. The former chief crown prosecutor for north-west England is no friend of press freedom. ‘Hate Speech is NOT Free Speech,’ he tweeted in 2024.
What More Evidence Does the Blob Need That Michael Gove Was Right?
When I think of Michael Gove perusing the latest PISA league tables, proving yet again that his education reforms have transformed the life chances of English schoolchildren, a line from Broadcast News, the 1987 romcom, comes to mind. “It must be nice to always believe you know better, to always think you’re the smartest person in the room,” says a veteran television news man to a young female producer. “No,” she replies.
AfD Set For Historic Victory in Saxony-Anhalt as Exit Polls Show 44% Vote Share
Germany’s biggest hard-Right party is set for an ‘historic’ victory in a key regional election, exit polls show. Alternative for Germany (AfD) took at least 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt in the ex-communist east, according to exit polls published by broadcasters ARD and ZDF. The anti-immigration and Moscow-friendly party is now on the brink of becoming the first hard-Right party to run a state government in Germany since the Second World War.
More Than 60,000 Arrested in Five Years for ‘Communications Offences’ in ‘Orwellian’ Policing Crackdown
More than 62,000 people have been arrested across the UK over the past five years for online speech offences, according to a new report by Big Brother Watch. Cases include a vulnerable teenage girl visited by police over a TikTok video she had not even created or shared.
What Zanzibar could teach the C of E about slavery
I have a suggestion for those opposed to Project Spire, the Church of England’s plan to put £100 million into an investment fund to benefit those communities ‘affected by historic slavery’. Bear in mind that none of the arguments against it has had an impact to date. Suggesting that this money would be better spent repairing roofs and stained-glass windows has left the Church Commissioners unmoved.
Tories Overtake Reform in Poll for First Time in 18 Months
The Conservatives have overtaken Reform UK in a poll for the first time in over 500 days, with Kemi Badenoch’s party scoring 23% to Reform’s 22% in a More in Common survey of 3,250 people. Reform, meanwhile, has endured a bruising period following Nigel Farage’s MP resignation and a Clacton by-election widely regarded as a debacle. The Telegraph has the story: The Conservatives have overtaken Reform UK in an opinion poll for the first time in more than 500 days.
Bring back the privileged class
It has become a summer ritual for the Young family to attend the annual tennis tournament in Hunstanton, a Victorian seaside town in Norfolk. Normally a minor stop on the amateur circuit, it was elevated to number three in the county earlier this year on account of the quality of its grass courts. For some reason, they have suffered less than most from the drought, although they looked pretty threadbare to me. Separately, it is graded 5/6 by the LTA.
Most Britons Think Free Speech Has Got Worse Under Labour, Poll Finds
A new poll for Liberty reveals that 51% of Britons say their confidence in the government to protect free speech has worsened under Labour, with only 10% believing it has improved. Travel bans on speakers and mass arrests of protesters are cited as key drivers of public concern. The Telegraph has the story: Most Britons believe their rights to free speech have been eroded by Labour in the two years since the election, a poll has found.
British Medical Journal Accused of Damaging Scientific Integrity
Written by Toby Young on August 24, 2026. Posted in Current News The British Medical Journal has retracted a peer-reviewed Dutch study linking Covid vaccines to excess deaths, despite investigators finding no evidence of data fabrication or malicious intent Three independent experts have written to the journal calling the retraction “disproportional” and calling the decision “political”.
Kemi Badenoch: Arday’s Death Is Being Used to Attack Press Freedom
Kemi Badenoch has warned that the death of Jason Arday is being used to attack press freedom. The Conservative leader said it was “appalling” that the death of the former Cambridge professor was being used to call for “a muzzling of the press”. She also said the University of Cambridge had “failed in their duty of care” towards Mr Arday by elevating him to a “position that he was not ready for”.
Burnham’s ‘Climate Tsar’ Has Racked Up 250,000 Air Miles on Taxpayer-Funded Flights
Andy Burnham’s ‘climate tsar’ Rachel Kyte has racked up 250,000 air miles on taxpayer-funded flights – including business-class trips to Rio de Janeiro, Seoul and Barbados – at a cost of £107,000 in under two years. Conservative MP Greg Smith has demanded Burnham sack her and abolish the £130,000-a-year role entirely. The the Mail has the story: Andy Burnham is under mounting pressure to sack his ‘climate tsar’ after she racked up more than enough ‘air miles’ to get to the Moon.
Trump Ambassador to Belgium Demands Ghent Drop Investigation of Nathan Cofnas
President Trump’s ambassador to Belgium has personally intervened to demand the reinstatement of Nathan Cofnas, suspended by Ghent University after he raised plagiarism allegations against the late Jason Arday. The ambassador warned that the US is reviewing all relationships with Ghent University, suggesting “all options” are on the table.
Revealed: The Full Scale of Illegal ‘Family Voting’ at Birmingham Polls – as Election Watchdog is Urged to Investigate
Birmingham City Council has revealed that staff witnessed attempts to breach the secret ballot at 50 polling stations during May’s local elections, with incidents including voters using hand signals and switching languages to circumvent the law. Lord Hayward, who introduced the 2023 legislation criminalising such conduct, has urged the Electoral Commission to investigate – warning Birmingham is unlikely to be the only council affected.
Prince Harry and Fellow Claimants Must Pay £9.5 million to Mail After Judge Rules Hacking Case Was ‘Unreasonable to a High Degree’
Prince Harry and his fellow claimants must pay millions to the the Mail after a judge today ruled their doomed hacking case was pursued in a way that was “unreasonable to a high degree”. The Duke of Sussex, Baroness Lawrence, Sir Elton John and the four others have seven days to pay the first £9,544,355, the High Court ordered. Mr Justice Nicklin granted a rare “indemnity order” obliging the claimants to bear the brunt of the costs of their disastrous legal action.
DEFRA’s ‘Re-Wilding’ Policy Is Turning England Into a Tinderbox
How bad is the situation? Satellite analysis shows that six times more land was burnt in the UK over the last decade than in the previous one (151,954 hectares in 2016-2025 against 24,805 in 2006-2015). Do not be fooled by those who say this catastrophe is simply down to climate change. Sure, hot days drive moisture out of plants. But globally wildfires are down by a quarter because humanity has become better at creating firebreaks. Defra hasn’t.
Sue Gray Says Working in Starmer’s No 10 Was ‘Unbearable’
Working in Sir Keir Starmer’s No 10 was “unbearable”, Baroness Sue Gray has said. In her first interview since resigning as Sir Keir’s chief of staff, Lady Gray criticised the briefing wars that took place inside the government, saying they were “very, very difficult” and revealed her disappointment that Sir Keir had not done more to tackle briefings by insiders about her in the media.
Ghent University shouldn't have suspended Nathan Cofnas
It is ironic that the ‘be kind' brigade beating their breasts and wailing about the ‘lynching' and ‘assassination' of Jason Arday think the appropriate response is to whip up hatred against Nathan Cofnas, the scholar who exposed Arday's academic misconduct. At the vigil for Arday at Trafalgar Square on Sunday, several speakers singled out Cofnas for blame, including Diane Abbott MP, who described him as a ‘racist'.
For Jason Arday, Attacks in the ‘Left Wing Media’ Must Have Been Harder to Take Than Attacks in the ‘Right Wing Media’
I know from my own experience of being cancelled in 2018, that being turned on by people you expected to be on your side is far more painful than being attacked by your enemies. For that reason, I doubt the coverage of the Jason Arday affair in the ‘right wing media’ was a major factor in his anguish, as the enemies of press freedom are claiming.
Ghent university shouldn’t have suspended Nathan Cofnas
It is ironic that the ‘be kind’ brigade beating their breasts and wailing about the ‘lynching’ and ‘assassination’ of Jason Arday think the appropriate response is to whip up hatred against Nathan Cofnas, the scholar who exposed Arday’s academic misconduct. At the vigil for Arday at Trafalgar Square on Sunday, several speakers singled out Cofnas for blame, including Diane Abbott MP, who described him as a ‘racist’.
The Sorry Saga of Jason Arday Points to the Need For More Press Freedom in Britain, Not Less
In the hours immediately after Arday’s death, I was back on X, arguing like everyone else. I couldn’t help it; I found the outrage following this tragedy particularly deranging because of the almost perfect, 180-degree extent to which it misses the point. I mean that in two senses. First, the call for more scrutiny of media, or even outright censorship of it, is astonishing in light of the facts of this case.
Green Activists Behind ‘Wipe Israel Off the Map’ Messages Back Curbs on Press Freedom
Green Party activists exposed by the Times over private discussions about “wiping Israel off the map” have backed plans to give a statutory regulator powers over journalists’ ethics. Animah Kosai, a member of the Green Party Council, which helps to set the party’s political direction, used the same WhatsApp group where the anti-Zionist discussions were held to urge members and supporters to back the proposal.
The horror of when your own side turns on you
Should I regret writing a satirical piece for this magazine about Jason Arday? Yes, according to those who blame the ‘right-wing media’ for his death. A petition started by Jolyon Maugham this week calling for a public inquiry into the ‘press harassment’ of Arday has gained more than 100,000 signatures. A letter from Dawn Butler MP to Ipso urges the independent press regulator to use ‘every available lever’ to take ‘decisive action’ against the Times, Telegraph, Mail and Spectator.
Zack Polanski Calls for the Press to be “Sorted Out”, i.e., Muzzled, After Jason Arday’s Death
Zack Polanski has demanded an inquiry into the “culture and behaviour” of the press, adding that it was time the media was “sorted out”. The Green Party leader signed a letter to Andy Burnham demanding the Government launch an inquiry into how to “ensure a responsible press” following Jason Arday’s death. He has also described the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) regulator as “toothless” and called for the forced sell-off of most national newspapers by banning foreign ownership.
News Round-Up - The Daily Sceptic
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the 'climate emergency', public health 'crises' and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation. “A tragedy that should force everyone to pause for reflection” – In the Mail, Sarah Vine writes that the death of Professor Jason Arday is an absolute tragedy regardless of his CV embellishments, but insists his case should prompt wider reflection on the culture that enabled him.
Sadiq Khan Rakes in £750 an Hour from Bus Lane Fines
Transport for London netted £6.6 million from bus lane fines last year – a 400% surge over three years – as Lord Khan’s administration continues to pile charges on the capital’s drivers. The Labour mayor, recently ennobled by Sir Keir Starmer, is now collecting £87,177 per mile of bus lane annually. The Mail has the story: Lord Khan, the Labour mayor for London, is raking in more than £750 an hour from bus lane fines after the cash he’s netted from them rocketed 400%.
Cambridge Becomes First UK City to Impose 15mph Speed Limit on Cyclists
Britain’s first 15mph bike lane will aim to tackle the scourge of speeding cyclists increasingly threatening the safety of pedestrians. Cambridge, Britain’s cycling capital, has introduced new limits along one of the city’s most popular bike routes. Cambridgeshire county council said the move was in response to regular concerns from residents “including older people and families with young children” over cyclists travelling at “excessive speeds”.
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