Dear Friends and Supporters, 

My name is Ben Woods, known as @benonwine on X / twitter 

I'm a passionate patriot, royalist and advocate for conservative values. My commitment to free speech and open dialogue has helped me build up a large following of like minded supporters. I believe  because I've been able to create a space on X for like minded people with sensible, common-sense views to discuss the political issues of the day, I was targeted by an online left-wing hate mob who detest free speech and free ideas and want to throttle any discussion they don't agree with, whether that be the concept there is only men and women (and you can't change sex) or that we need a proud governing political party that loves our country and our people. 

In January 2025, certain leftist activist groups made a coordinated attack on my X account, doxing me. I received death threats and had people searching for me in the Waitrose Henley-On-Thames store no doubt wanting to beat me up for daring to stand up to far left lunacy which we see all over our country (and around the world) at the moment. 

After receiving these death threats and being doxed, I am now facing disciplinary action from my employer, Waitrose (John Lewis plc) due to this hate mob attacking me. Instead of standing up and supporting me (I've worked for them for 25 years and who spent the best part of my working life building up the Henley-On-Thames Waitrose wine counter from nothing), they've decided to throw me to the wolves. 

I believe to try to appease the left wing mob,  Waitrose have investigated my X timeline in order to find any they feel are suspicious, which in reality means anything that doesn't go against the woke orthodoxy. They have even accused me of having the smell of alcohol on my breath, without thinking that I work on the wine tasting counter. 

They say they never knowingly undersell, but I believe they have sold me out. 

Waitrose want to discipline me for around 30 tweets, which I believe are simply an expression of my conservative, patriotic values. For example, one of my tweets is a Telegraph cartoon, in which a teacher at parent's evening says that "your son is falling behind in Sex Education. He could only name 47 of the 100 different genders".  

Another one was for posting a poll in which I asked "If a referendum was held tomorrow, would you vote to close the borders?" in which of 4,239 people, 98.3% voted yes. 

Another tweet is where I criticise Labour MPs for failing to dress appropriately in Parliament and another where I ask people to describe Angela Raynor in two words. I thought that criticising politicians was all part of robust debate and part of living in a democracy. Seems not. 

I am due to have a disciplinary later this month (March 2025). I am facing serious consequences and potentially the sack simply for what I believe is expressing my conservative viewpoints. In an era where we need more free speech and it should be protected, I believe that Waitrose just want me gone and are scraping the barrel to try to get rid of me. 

This isn't just about me. it's about standing up to far left-wing hate mobs and the corporations who bow down to them and subject their workers to disciplinaries. I believe that everybody should have the right to free speech.

Initial target and stretch target

I am raising funds to help with legal fees and all money raised will go straight to my lawyers. I do not receive any of the money. 

My initial target is £3,000 to help me defend myself in these disciplinary proceedings. The stretch target is currently set at £15,000, but how it is spent depends on what happens. I may be dismissed by Waitrose and so I would bring a claim against them for unfair dismissal and discrimination for my protected beliefs. I may also claim against them even if they don't dismiss me, because the investigation and disciplinary they have put me through has been awful and again only because I have manifested my views online. Either way, I am likely to take legal action against them.

Any money that doesn't go to my case will go to similar causes raising money through Crowd Justice.  To confirm, only my lawyers will receive the money and it can only be spent on legal fees such as solicitor or barrister costs or Court fees. 

Every donation, big or small, sends a clear message: free speech matters and people should not be silenced for their political beliefs. 

How you can help

• Donate whatever you can to support my free speech legal battle. I understand that times are tough at the moment so please only donate what you can easily spare;
• Share this crowd funder to spread the word and stand against political censorship;
• Speak up - when you can and it is safe to do so, defend the principle that everyone, regardless of their views, has the right to express themselves without fear of professional retaliation.

I have always been there to share my insights, humour and strong but lawful opinions. Let's show that we won't stand for ideological purges in the workplace. 

Donate today and help fight for free speech. 

Please let me thank you for any support received.

Ben Woods