Recipients of UK honors could have their awards revoked if they post comments online deemed 'offensive' or to have brought the honors system into disrepute, according to new official guidance. The forfeiture committee, which operates in secret, can now consider 'hate incidents' as grounds for stripping honors. These incidents are defined as those where the victim or another party believes the act was motivated by hostility or prejudice based on disability, race, religion, transgender identity, or sexual orientation.
The guidance, revealed by homelessness campaigner Nick Buckley MBE following a Freedom of Information request, states that the committee's primary consideration is whether the individual's actions have 'brought the honours system into disrepute'. The severity of a post may be judged differently depending on the offender's public profile and the reach of their account. For example, a post from a high-profile recipient on an open account with a large following would likely be considered more serious than the same post from an individual with a private account and few followers.
This broadened scope could mean individuals may be stripped of honors, ranging from MBEs to knighthoods, for comments that cause offense but do not break any laws. The guidance may extend to 'hate incidents' that cannot be prosecuted, meaning actions that do not amount to criminal conduct.
Lord Young of Acton, founder and general secretary of the Free Speech Union, expressed concern that the new rules could deter potential recipients from accepting honors in the future. He warned that individuals, particularly those with views considered 'Right of centre', might hesitate to accept an award if they fear it could be withdrawn for expressing legally permissible but politically contentious opinions.
The Free Speech Union has criticized the criteria for withdrawing awards as 'far too broad'. Nick Buckley, who was allowed to retain his MBE after facing an investigation into his social media comments, highlighted the lack of transparency. He argued that without a clear policy, all honor holders may feel unable to express their beliefs without jeopardizing their awards.
In a separate but related development, a report by the campaign group Big Brother Watch found that over 60,000 people have been arrested in the UK over the past five years for 'communications offences'. Many of these offenses involved social media posts. The report indicates that while some arrests may be justified, such as interventions in domestic abuse cases, the broad application of these laws has led to what campaigners describe as over-zealous policing. The report cites instances, including a vulnerable teenager being questioned by police over a TikTok post, and Lucy Connolly being jailed for inciting arson against hotels housing asylum seekers.
The Cabinet Office declined to comment on the new guidance. Big Brother Watch is calling for an independent review of laws and police training related to speech offenses.