Sharon Keogan (Independent)

Finally, I want to speak on a broader concern, the erosion of free speech in this country. We have seen the Government hesitate on hate speech laws, failing to provide clarity on what will or will not be criminalised. We have seen proposals to include a so-called Kneecap provision in anti-terror legislation, a clause mirroring the very same one being used to persecute Irish artists in the UK, with language so vague it could be used to target half the country for their views. We now see a defamation Bill that fails to protect satire, survivors and the public's right-----