‘Big Brother really is watching you…’ - Campaign for an Independent Britain

Occasionally something so outrageous occurs that we feel compelled to drop all else to report on it.

In this case our hugely respected and widely read affiliate, Brexit Facts4EU.Org came under attack on social media earlier this week when Facebook banned an interview with a political figure with whom they disagreed.

This is not the first time we have clashed with the social media giants. Followers of CIBUK may recall attempts by ‘GoFundMe’ to stymie our attempts to raise money through a popular appeal by freezing our fund-raising operation.

However, when a parliamentary candidate, contesting a seat in a democratic election is deliberately silenced, a shudder of revulsion should run down the spine of everyone who believes in freedom and democracy.

How on earth can these media giants look anyone in the face when they attempt to use methods that would not be out of place in Russia, China or Iran?

What follows is an edited account of what happened with a link to the original report beneath it.

Nick Clegg, can you please stop your staff from interfering in the UK general election?

Once again Facebook bans the Deputy Leader of the UK’s 2nd-most popular party from being heard

.

Ben Habib has been silenced by Facebook – What is the UK government doing about this?

On Sunday we reported on the political censorship from Facebook, whereby they banned our post linking to a serious video interview we conducted with the Deputy Leader of Reform UK, Ben Habib. After a brief resumption they have now banned it again. In the latest polls Reform UK is ranking better than – or on a par with – the ruling Conservative Party.

With Facts4EU.Org being non-partisan, as Facebook should be, we hold no candle for Reform UK. We simply believe in their right to be heard.

We invite Facebook employees and all readers to view our report and the video interview we conducted with Ben Habib. There is nothing in this to justify censorship, which means Facebook’s actions have to be considered as nothing other than political bias.

Two short clips and the full interview

Hugely popular on all other channels, here is what Facebook is denying their users the chance to see. We start with Facts4EU.Org’s article which Facebook has banned. And below this are the videos.

The video interview was co-produced by CIBUK (London, UK) in collaboration with Facts4EU.Org and Commanding the Narrative (Sydney, Australia).

Facts4EU.Org’s original article (Click image to access it)

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2024

Short clip 1
Short clip 2
Full interview

[Video copyright: Facts4EU.Org, CIBUK.Org, and Commanding the Narrative (Australia).

For permissions to re-use, write to us here. It will normally be granted.

And please click on ‘Like’ and ‘Subscribe’!]

Please support our work

This appears to be direct interference in a UK general election

Following our announcement of this electoral interference and our complaint to them, Facebook briefly reinstated our post. We then learnt from colleagues in Australia that they were prevented from sharing our post down under. Yesterday we found that our Facebook post has disappeared in the UK again.

Facts4EU.Org remains non-partisan but we do believe in freedom of expression. For the benefit of those young people working at Facebook – and its ‘President of Global Affairs’ Nick Clegg – this means allowing all views to be heard, whether you agree with them or not. This applies most especially when these views come from a Deputy Leader of a major political party.

Provided these views do not contravene any laws, the voting public have the right to hear them and make up their own minds.

This interview is very popular on YouTube

We are told that an average podcast attracts around 3,000 views. The full podcast of this interview has attracted more than 11,000 views so far, and this is increasing each day. In just a few days there have been over 160 comments on YouTube.

From the ‘comments section’ on YouTube below our videos – a random selection:-

Ben talks the truth, i love that man, vote reform uk because this country is going down the toilet

I’ve never heard him say anything that I don’t wholeheartedly agree with. Reform is the only answer for us.

The first with a real sense of duty to the people and with integrity, honesty, and intelligence. The first for many years.

I have a lot of time for Ben, intelligent, knowledgeable, Patriotic, and a fantastic! Orator. Ben is a great! asset to Reform. Vote Reform, all the way.

A man who doesn’t want to be in politics is exactly the kind of person we need in politics. There are too many career politicians in Westminster who have never done a proper job. More power to Ben Habib

Yes yes yes and yes BEN! on EVERYTHING you say! Praying Reform will be the government sooooon!! Your country needs you!!

Ben Habib a man with style, class, knowledge, common sense, great orator and always says it how it is, his Pakistani heritage has made him hard working and a great asset to this country and the Reform party, and most of all his love for this nation. Starmer and Sunak are not fit to lace his boots !

Everytime I hear Ben Habib I marvel at his eloquence and his ability to put his message across simply but succintly. Thank you, Mr Habib, I am very grateful for your commitment.

What a great asset Ben is to the GB, so knowlegeable, he must be voted into Parliament, we need his great intellect to raise the standards of our government. Please vote with your heart, Reform can get many seats, vote with heart.

Slow burner! Everyone should take time listen to this fantastic discussion with Ben Habib.

Great having Ben In our corner !!! It’s just like the Brexiteers voting again !!

Hear hear Thank you Mr Habib. Spoken in plain English for us with little understanding of politics, to understand. I will be a Reform voter.

I could listen to Ben for hours!

Ben Habib is a remarkable and well educated politician and gentleman; I could listen to him ad infinitum.

It’s lifted my spirits, thank you, God bless x

What a brilliant debate. Ben comes across very very capable. Reform all the way.

Bravo Ben, outstanding as always. Thank you CIB who I have just found

Excellent interview and discussion. If only this could be televised on the BBC!

Ben Hadid is an embodiment of British values and character. With politicians like him beautiful strong wealthy England has a chance. Great conversation!

Ben Habib is one of the most erudite and knowledgeable speakers that British politics has seen in the last 40 years.

Agree not extreme right or extreme Left. Ben offers a good analysis here, not left, not right

He is an ideal addition to Tice and Farage. Very thoughtful man.

We invite Facebook once again to review its interference in the UK’s election

The interview with Ben Habib has been hugely popular online on other channels, but Facebook users have been denied access. Facebook’s actions can only be seen as interference in the conduct of a UK election campaign.

Readers will recall that David Cameron’s former UK Deputy Prime Minister in his coalition government was the LibDem leader Nick Clegg, who then joined Meta – which owns Facebook – as its ‘President of Global Affairs’, in 2018.

Observations

Readers will recall all the allegations about Russian interference in the UK’s EU Referendum and then in the US election. It transpired that none of this was true, or made any impact.

Here we have a major US corporation deciding what its millions of users are allowed to see. Facts4EU.Org publishes many views we disagree with. It’s called freedom of expression and it’s part of – or should be part of – any democratic society.

Once again we have contacted Facebook, but have received no response at the time of writing.

CIBUK would like to thank Brexit Facts4EU.Org for their kind permission to republish this report, which can be read in full here.