'Unbelievable!' Free Speech Union chief despairs at Briton being investigated for Union Jack window display

Lord Young told host Martin Daubney: "We've got one case, you won't believe this one, but it's a foster parent who is under investigation by the local authority to see whether he's a suitable person to retain his stewardship of a particular child in the foster system.

"And it's because they saw a Union Jack displayed in his front window, and that, in their view, means he might be a safeguarding risk to this foster child. And I'm not making that up."

Martin was astounded, declaring: "That is unbelievable. You're not making that up? That is incredible."

Highlighting the recently announced plans by Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy to scrap jury trials in most cases, Lord Young explained why it is so important to retain a jury in free speech cases.

He said: "This shows, I think, why it's so important that we need to defend the right to trial by jury. We've done some research at the Free Speech Union and found that where people are accused, charged with speech crimes, they're much more likely to be acquitted by juries than they are in non-jury trials in a magistrates court.

"Which is one of the reasons it's so important that we defend the right to trial by jury."

Martin agreed with Lord Young, adding: "I think your research shows that you're twice as likely to be acquitted with a jury on a free speech issue as opposed to a judge, and that's surely a resounding endorsement for keeping jury trials."

Referencing the case of Jamie Michael, Lord Young despaired at the former Marine being banned from coaching his daughter's football team due to a social media post.

Lord Young told GB News: "It wasn't as if Jamie said anything unlawful that was tested in a court of law, and he was acquitted unanimously in 17 minutes. He should never have been prosecuted.

"And yet the Welsh FA have decided that he's a safeguarding risk to children purely because of his supposedly far-right views. In fact, the reservations he expressed in his 12-minute Facebook video about illegal immigration and the risks that some, not all, but some illegal immigrants posed to children and to women, that's a fear widely shared."

He added: "It's not a far out there extreme view, and it in no way makes him unsuitable to work with children. This is a weaponisation of protocols put in place for very sensible reasons, to protect children from sexual predators, to rescue them from abusive parents.

"It's not designed to protect children from the harm of being exposed to people who might vote for Reform."

As Martin revealed that Mr Michael is planning to sue the Welsh FA for "breaching his human rights", Lord Young said: "This is a case the free Speech Union has taken on. We paid for Jamie's defence when he was charged with a criminal offence, and got him a top criminal barrister in the form of Adam King.

"And we've assembled a legal team now to help him sue the Welsh FA for this unbelievable smear on his character, on his good name. A man who risked his life for our country, a decorated ex-servicemen.

"In Jamie's case, he could have opted for just to be tried by a judge without a jury. But he thought, well, I'm going to put my confidence in 12 good men and true rather than a particular judge. And it proved to be a very sensible decision, but I'm worried."

Stressing that there are many cases out there like the foster parent and Jamie Michael who are being investigated for expressing opinion, Lord Young stated: "We've got at least a dozen other cases like this, Martin.

"All people who've been told that they can't work with children, can't teach, can't teach football because of their right-wing views.

"All under the fig leaf, the excuse that they pose a safeguarding risk to children because of their views. Nothing else, but because of their opinions."