Angus Robertson makes freedom of speech pledge at Festival

The Herald Scotland

2 hours ago

Speaking exclusively to The Herald, he highlighted the importance of arts organisations allowing people to express 'unpopular' views and giving audiences the choice of whether to hear them.
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Mr Robertson was speaking less than a fortnight after First Minister John Swinney opened Edinburgh's summer festivals season with a speech that pledged that he would 'always protect freedom of speech in our country.'
The Edinburgh International Book Festival, the National Library of Scotland and Fringe venue Summerhall, which are all government-funded, have all become embroiled in free speech rows.
Scottish culture secretary Angus Robertson has spoken out in the wake of a number of freedom of speech controversies. (Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire)
Politicians and writers have raised concerns over 'censorship' and behind-the-scenes lobbying by activists to try to cancel events and influence programming decisions.
Mr Robertson insisted the government had no involvement in programming decisions made by arts organisations and the importance of 'arms-length' decision-making on funding for arts and culture.
The National Library of Scotland has been accused of censorship. (Image: Gordon Terris/ The Herald)
However the culture secretary said that did that 'diminish' the importance of freedom of expression.
Edinburgh's summer festivals season has played out against a background of freedom of speech and cancel culture controversies.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes was interviewed by The Herald's political editor Andrew Learmonth at Summerhall. (Image: Gordon Terris) The book festival has been accused of avoiding 'difficult' topics, and excluding certain books and writers, including gender critical authors, from its line-up.
The National Library has been accused of 'cowardice' after it emerged it had removed a best-selling gender critical book from a special exhibition to mark its centenary after some of its staff raised complaints that it promote 'hate speech.'
The Edinburgh International Book Festival has been accused of deliberately excluding gender critical authors from its line-up.
Although the exhibition features books selected by well-known authors Damian Barr, Alan Cumming, Gemma Cairney, Sir Ian Rankin and Val McDermid, the National Library decided to withdraw The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht, after it was initially selected based on public nominations. It features essays by women including Harry Potter creator JK Rowling, MP Joanna Cherry, MSP Ash Regan and former prison governor.
Summerhall, which was threatened with closure over an HMRC investigation last year, has come under fire after it issued an apology to artists and performers for hosting an event with Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, which it described as an "oversight."
Management had been urged to pull the plug on her appearance, which was part of a series of Fringe events organised by The Herald. Summerhall said it would be 'developing robust, proactive inclusion and wellbeing policies' as a result of Ms Forbes appearance.
In response to reports of Summerhall's apology, Ms Forbes, who has responsibility for the funding of Edinburgh's festivals, said she fervently believed in freedom of speech, adding: 'Any effort to 'cancel' people, especially politicians, undermines democracy.'
Mr Robertson was speaking after an event to celebrate the Made in Scotland showcase at the Fringe.
Four shows have secured a shared of £540,000 in government funding, while Summerhall secured more than £600,000 in funding for the next years in January.
He told The Herald: 'As Scotland's culture secretary I am a strong supporter of the freedom of speech and of expression at our festivals and as part of our cultural life in general.
'There is a distance between government and our cultural organisations, which is important, but does not diminish our strong support for the broadest cultural offerings.
'There a number of issues of public concern and public debate.
'For as long as I can remember, there have been tensions between the right to freedom of speech and developments or views that some people find unpopular or unjustifiable.
'That tension will always exist. It's something that the organizers of festivals or cultural events are presented with at all times. It will not be easy all of the time to please everybody.
'But I think keeping an eye on the principle of freedom of expression and the expression of different views is an established and important part of our national life.
'For very good reasons, funding to our major cultural and festival events takes place at arm's length.
'That, though, does not diminish the important position of the Scottish Government, including myself and the First Minister, to support the right of freedom of expression and freedom of speech.
'I want to make sure that our arts festivals and our arts organisations are properly supported and properly funded, as they are being now, with the biggest increase in spending for culture since the beginning of devolution.
'And I am keen to make sure that we have an understanding about freedom of expression and the ability of people to express views that may be popular or less popular as part of our cultural life, and people can choose if they want to go and hear those or not.'
A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: "While ministers have no role in booking or curation decisions taken by individual venues or institutions, the Scottish Government supports individuals' rights to freedom of expression and we are clear that there is no place for any form of discrimination in Scotland.'
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