If people aren't allowed to speak their minds, how can we hope to change them?

When the vice-president of the United States took Sir Keir Starmer to task earlier this year for failing to uphold free speech, the Prime Minister was quick to hit back. “In relation to free speech in the UK, I'm very proud of our history there,” he said. “We've had free speech for a very long time, it will last a long time, and we are very proud of that.”

- BY TOBY YOUNG

As the head of the Free Speech Union, I wish I was as sanguine as the Labour leader. Our membership has doubled in size since the last election, with our six-person case team having to contend with 25 new cases a week.

Some of our high-profile cases have hit the headlines, such as Hamit Coskun, the Turkish political refugee who was prosecuted for burning a copy of the Koran outside the Turkish consulate in Knightsbridge. Last month he was found guilty of disorderly behaviour and causing harassment, alarm or distress, but with our assistance he's going to appeal that verdict.

We had more success helping Julian Foulkes to sue Kent Police. The retired special constable was arrested, held in a cell for eight hours and released only after he'd agreed to accept a caution — all for a single tweet supporting Israel's right to defend itself. Not only did he secure an apology from the Chief Constable of Kent, he also got £20,000 in compensation.

But most of our cases are below the radar, involving ordinary people who find themselves in trouble because of an unguarded remark on social media or in a community chat forum.