The new law that could criminalise journalism and free speech

Parliament is on the verge of passing the National Security (State Threats) Bill, and I think far too few people understand what it could mean. The government says this legislation is designed to protect Britain from hostile foreign states. That sounds reasonable. But when you look closely at what the bill actually says, serious questions emerge about its effect on journalism, research, blogging and public debate. In this video, I explain why. The bill allows organisations to be designated as state threats. Once that happens, obtaining information from them could itself become a criminal offence carrying a prison sentence of up to 14 years. Independent reviewers have already warned that the legislation is drafted so broadly that journalists may have to rely on prosecutorial discretion rather than clear legal protections. That matters because reporting conflicts has always depended on speaking to every side. Whether the conflict is in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Yemen or elsewhere, understanding events requires access to information from multiple sources, not just those governments approve of. This is not simply a legal issue. It is an issue of political economy. Information is a public good. Democracy depends upon informed citizens. If access to information is reduced, rumour, misinformation and distrust are likely to grow. Is this really the balance Parliament should be striking between national security and democratic accountability? If so, we should all be worried. Take a look at todays poll:    • Post   00:00 A Dangerous New Law? 01:00 Why the Bill Matters 01:54 New State Threat Powers 02:50 Risks for Journalists 03:46 Why Sources Matter 04:42 Information Under Threat 05:40 Democracy Needs Facts 06:36 Trust and Accountability 07:33 Can Parliament Fix This? 08:31 Final Thoughts TRANSCRIPT A transcript for this video is available at: https://www.taxresearch.org.uk IF YOU WANT TO WRITE TO YOUR MP ABOUT ISSUES IN THIS VIDEO If you want to write a letter to your MP on the issues raised in this blog post, there is a ChatGPT prompt to assist you in doing so, with full instructions, here. https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2... HOW TO SUPPORT US Please consider donating: https://ko-fi.com/taxresearch ABOUT RICHARD MURPHY Richard Murphy is Emeritus Professor of Accounting Practice at Sheffield University Management School. He is director of Tax Research LLP and the author of the Funding the Future blog. His best-known book is ‘The Joy of Tax’. This video was edited by Thomas Murphy. RICHARD MURPHY ON BLUESKY: https://bsky.app/profile/richardjmurp... OR ON MY BLOG: http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/ HIT SUBSCRIBE & GET NOTIFICATIONS Subscribe and get notified of new videos released. INTRODUCTION:    • Welcome to my channel - Richard J Murphy -...   PLAYLISTS: The Wealth Series    • The Wealth Series   Ecenomics    • Ecenomics   Britain    • Britain   Tax    • Tax   MMT    • MMT   Money    • Money   Climate Change    • Climate Change   USA    • America and Trump   Labour    • Playlist   The Trump Administration    • Playlist   #richardmurphy #richardjmurphy #economy #economics #accountancy #accounting #tax #uktax #ukeconomy #greennewdeal #uk #money #economy #politics #government #tax #labour #health #life #NationalSecurity #FreeSpeech #Journalism #PressFreedom #Democracy #UKPolitics #NationalSecurityBill #CivilLiberties #FreedomOfInformation #CurrentAffairs #PoliticalAnalysis #HumanRights #Media #RichardMurphy #FundingTheFuture #Politics #Law #UnitedKingdom #PublicPolicy #DemocraticAccountability