Max Thompson: The banter ban marks the death of the Great British pub

Max Thompson: The banter ban marks the death of the Great British pub

Max Thompson is legislative affairs and campaigns officer for the Free Speech Union. Angela Rayner’s Employment Rights Bill has rung the bell and it is kicking out time. This week (il)Liberal Democrat peers voted with Labour to put a banter bouncer in every pub from October 2026. Clause 20 of the Employment Rights Bill is an all out assault – cultural, economic and social. A solution in search of a problem. The Banter Ban will extend employers’ …

UK’s ‘Banter Bill’ and No-Hands Bike Ticket Spark Warnings of Creeping Authoritarianism

Dan Proft and British columnist Dominic Green took aim at recent developments in the United Kingdom, where government overreach and politically charged legislation are sparking international concern about free speech, public safety, and the role of the state. The interview began with a bizarre yet telling anecdote: a British cyclist was stopped and ticketed by police for riding with no hands. The officer reportedly claimed the act endangered ot…