UK

130,000 Brits Branded 'Hateful' Without Committing a Crime: Lords Vote to End the Madness

House of Lords peers push to abolish non crime hate incidents that have branded over 130,000 people including pastors and children as hateful.

Michael Ringer

Michael Ringer

— 3 min read
Illustration depicting thought police and free speech suppression in the United Kingdom related to non crime hate incidents

UK Lords Move to End Orwellian Police Practice of Recording Non Crime Hate Incidents

The House of Lords is set to vote on an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill that would abolish non crime hate incidents (NCHIs) entirely and wipe all existing records from police databases.

Lord Young of Acton, head of the Free Speech Union, and former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Hogan Howe tabled the amendment, which has gained significant support from crossbench peers.

NCHIs allow police to record allegations of "hateful" speech or behaviour even when no crime has been committed. A 2024 Freedom of Information request revealed that 13,200 NCHIs were logged in just 12 months, with those recorded including doctors, vicars, and even primary school children.

Since 2014, more than 130,000 people have had an NCHI recorded against their name, often without their knowledge, as police are under no obligation to inform the individual concerned. These records can appear on enhanced DBS checks, potentially damaging careers and reputations.

These malicious allegations of being 'hateful' could seriously impact a person's career prospects.

Simon Calvert, Deputy Director for Public Affairs at The Christian Institute, made the statement, calling the system "Orwellian" and urging peers to vote for abolition.

Scottish pastor Angus Cameron received £5,500 in compensation plus £9,400 in legal costs after being wrongfully arrested by Police Scotland in 2024 while street preaching. Despite confirmation that no crime had occurred, an NCHI was logged against his name. The Christian Institute supported his successful legal challenge.

The chair of the College of Policing, Lord Herbert, has already confirmed that NCHIs "will go as a concept" and be replaced entirely, stating there will be "no recording of anything like it on crime databases."

The government has acknowledged the current NCHI recording system is "not fit for purpose" and has commissioned a review, with updated protections expected as part of the Crime and Policing Bill's passage through Parliament.

Free Speech Advocates Urge Parliament to Abolish Non Crime Hate Incident Recording

Lord Herbert of South Downs, Chair of the College of Policing, who confirmed non crime hate incidents will be scrapped

Lord Young of Acton thanked The Christian Institute and supporters for their campaigning efforts, noting the victory required "a coalition of groups all pushing in the same direction." The Free Speech Union has handled more than 4,500 cases since its formation in 2020, including members of the public arrested over tweets and office workers disciplined for questioning workplace seminars.

Critics of the NCHI system include comedian Graham Linehan, who faced police investigation over social media posts before receiving a "no further action" decision. The Metropolitan Police also announced it would stop investigating NCHIs in October 2025.

The Crusader's Opinion

This is what happens when a nation forgets its Christian heritage. The police become the thought police. Pastors arrested for preaching the Gospel. Children reported for words in a playground. Over 130,000 people branded as "hateful" without ever committing a crime, and many of them never even told it happened.

Let that sink in. In the United Kingdom, a nation built on the Magna Carta and the King James Bible, you could have your career destroyed because someone decided your beliefs were inconvenient. Ask yourself: would any Muslim country tolerate its imams being hauled away in handcuffs for quoting the Quran? Not a chance. But a Christian pastor quoting Scripture in Glasgow gets arrested, searched in public, and shoved in a police van.

Thank God for the peers, the lawyers, and the organizations like The Christian Institute and the Free Speech Union who refused to be silenced. This system was born from cowardice and it needs to die completely. Not reformed. Not replaced. Abolished.

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