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Farage paints Britain as a censorship hellhole. Is he right? (UK brewing) - C C - Sep 3, 2025
https://www.politico.eu/article/nigel-farage-britain-censorship-free-speech-reform-uk/
EXCERPT: Back home, a furore over the arrest of Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan, detained by police at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of inciting violence with a series of social media posts about transgender people, is brewing. What happened to Linehan could “happen to any American,” Farage told the U.S. lawmakers.
The Reform UK leader also raised the case of Lucy Connolly, a mother jailed after pleading guilty to stirring up racial hatred with a social media post in the wake of a deadly knife attack on young girls in Southport, England last year. The case has similarly animated the right in the U.K.
Farage’s appearance will do little to calm a narrative — already being pushed by key allies of U.S. President Donald Trump — that free speech is under threat in Europe, and particularly in the U.K.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance stunned European leaders in February when he accused the continent’s governments, and what he called EU “commissars,” of being more interested in stifling free speech than in providing security for their citizens. Vance beefed with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the issue in the Oval Office, earning a rebuke from Starmer in full view of President Trump.
Just last month, the U.S. State Department issued an unflattering assessment of the U.K.’s free speech record. But some domestic opponents believe Farage is overplaying his hand — and amping up a complex issue in a bid to earn political capital.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Starmer accused the Reform UK leader of lobbying Americans to “impose sanctions on this country to harm working people,” adding that it “cannot get more unpatriotic than that.”
Ahead of the hearing The Sun newspaper reported Farage would call for the U.S. to punish countries that restrict free speech with diplomatic and trade penalties, though Farage denied suggesting sanctions “at all, in any way.” (MORE - missing details)
RE: Farage paints Britain as a censorship hellhole. Is he right? (UK brewing) - Syne - Sep 3, 2025
When you have 30 arrests for social media posts, including a repost that was already deleted, you have no freedom of speech.
That there is any ambiguity means your rights will never be safe.
RE: Farage paints Britain as a censorship hellhole. Is he right? (UK brewing) - stryder - Sep 4, 2025
The Met Police Commissioner should really state "You really need is a new unit for dealing with this online harassment/free speech stuff as it's not what we do".
That way they can build a specific unit for handling it since it's more of an "Intelligence" issue. (No I don't mean the cops are dumb) It likely requires psychologists onboard to aid in assessing and handling, perhaps including Mental Health services and/or supporting charities.
Most people if they say something thats too far over a line can be brought back from the brink if it's just explained what the problem is.
That being said the country has been stuck with people making comments on platforms outside of it's jurisdiction where it has no control, otherwise straight forwards "take down" messages would of been enough. (Although they would still be seen as controversial).
It's just the difference between a platform removing a concerning message or the person who wrote the message being arrested because the platform doesn't conform to the take down message.
Would you use a platform that didn't conform to a take down message and got you arrested? (although it would be over a message you wrote)
To be honest any decision on free speech, it's meaning and how it applies within a specific country is really down to that country having to poll it with their citizens, not hang the dirty linen abroad and hope it grants you political clout.
RE: Farage paints Britain as a censorship hellhole. Is he right? (UK brewing) - Syne - Sep 4, 2025
If free speech is about what most people find acceptable, it's not free speech. The only speech worth protecting is the speech we don't agree with.
If a society demands to be a safe space, free from anything upsetting, it's an impotent society.
RE: Farage paints Britain as a censorship hellhole. Is he right? (UK brewing) - confused2 - Sep 4, 2025
The UK 'Threats to Free speech' complained of by the US..
.. enforcement of or threat of criminal or civil laws in order to limit expression; and crimes, violence, or threats of violence motivated by antisemitism
.. requiring tech firms to have systems and processes in place to tackle criminal content – including fraud, child sex abuse material and terrorism – and prevent children from seeing the content most harmful to them – pornography, and suicide, self-harm and eating disorder content.
I can't (unlike JD Vance) say I feel the above actually threatens 'normal' freedom of speech in the UK. While the US is happy for social media to be used to (say) organise an invasion of the Whitehouse (which we know Trump didn't do) .. in the UK we'd prefer not.
Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks.
The US is a post-truth zone. Newtruth is whatever anyone can persuade folks to believe. If (for example) JD can convince people freedom of speech is threatened that's the newtruth and it has to be dealt with as though it were actually true.. we can't just say "This guy full of shit, he belongs in his own country and we'd rather he stayed there".
RE: Farage paints Britain as a censorship hellhole. Is he right? (UK brewing) - Syne - Sep 4, 2025
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - Voltaire (attributed)
When you arbitrarily criminalize views from one side of politically divisive issues, you are limiting the political discourse in a way that can only be described as censorship.
RE: Farage paints Britain as a censorship hellhole. Is he right? (UK brewing) - stryder - Sep 4, 2025
(Sep 4, 2025 11:00 PM)Syne Wrote: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - Voltaire (attributed)
When you arbitrarily criminalize views from one side of politically divisive issues, you are limiting the political discourse in a way that can only be described as censorship.
You mean a bit like a bunch of Palestinian Students protesting Israelis?
RE: Farage paints Britain as a censorship hellhole. Is he right? (UK brewing) - Syne - Sep 5, 2025
(Sep 4, 2025 11:14 PM)stryder Wrote:(Sep 4, 2025 11:00 PM)Syne Wrote: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - Voltaire (attributed)
When you arbitrarily criminalize views from one side of politically divisive issues, you are limiting the political discourse in a way that can only be described as censorship.
You mean a bit like a bunch of Palestinian Students protesting Israelis?
Protesting? Yes. Blocking access based solely on nationality/ethnicity? That's illegal discrimination.
RE: Farage paints Britain as a censorship hellhole. Is he right? (UK brewing) - confused2 - Sep 5, 2025
Quote:Protesting? Yes. Blocking access based solely on nationality/ethnicity? That's illegal discrimination.If this refers to Falter in London..?
The problem was that he intended to provoke a breach of the peace - this has nothing to do with him being Jewish or them being (no such thing) Palestinians,
RE: Farage paints Britain as a censorship hellhole. Is he right? (UK brewing) - Syne - Sep 5, 2025
I don't pay attention to your country, so you'll have to provide a link to any specific incident there.
I was taking about college protests in the US literally blocking Jewish students from entering. Free speech to protest, illegal discrimination to black access.