Campaigner Brendan O'Neill has issued a stark warning that Britain has descended into what he describes as an "Orwellian nightmare" regarding restrictions on free expression. Speaking on GB News, O'Neill declared that the country has "sleepwalked into" this troubling situation.
He highlighted concerning examples of law enforcement overreach, noting that "over the past few years we've had cops knocking on doors because people have been mean about the Pride flag."
Mr O'Neill emphasised the escalating nature of these interventions, stating that "the police have paid people visits for what they've said, they've arrested people for what they've said and they've charged people for what they've said."
The free speech advocate's remarks underscore growing concerns about the erosion of free speech protections in contemporary Britain.
Brendan O'Neill accused Sir Keir Starmer of 'lying through his teeth'
|GB NEWS / PA
The case of Lucy Connolly has emerged as a potent symbol of these free speech concerns under Sir Keir Starmer's administration. The 42-year-old childminder from Northampton was sentenced to 31 months imprisonment for a social media post following the Southport murders in July 2023.
Ms Connolly had called for "mass deportations" and suggested that hotels housing migrants should be set alight, though she removed the post within hours.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
- Angela Rayner sparks furious GB News clash as Labour peer accuses Ben Leo of ‘sexist attack’
- We are ruled by an 800-pound gorilla that shields sex offenders and open borders - Chris Philp
- ‘English have had enough!’ Historian lashes out at critics as St George’s flags line British streets
Despite her claims that she "did not advocate violence" and that her "words were massively twisted," she was denied bail and imprisoned.
Following her recent release from HMP Peterborough, Ms Connolly has described herself as Sir Keir Starmer's "political prisoner."
Brendan O'Neill joined Ben Leo on GB News
|GB NEWS
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has similarly characterised her as "a symbol of Keir Starmer's authoritarian, broken, two-tier Britain."
Ms Connolly's case has attracted significant international attention, with American political figures expressing concern about Britain's speech legislation.
Representatives from Donald Trump's administration have reportedly invited Ms Connolly to meet with them, describing themselves as "keen to speak" with her as advocates for free expression.
US Senator JD Vance previously warned at the Munich Security Conference that "in Britain, and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat."
Lucy Connolly was jailed for a social media post | XThe State Department's annual Human Rights Practices report has since highlighted "credible reports of serious restrictions on freedom of expression" in the UK, citing particular concerns about "restrictions on political speech deemed 'hateful' or 'offensive'" under Labour.
Mr Farage is scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee at the US Capitol on 3rd September, where he plans to make Ms Connolly's imprisonment "central" to his evidence about Britain's free speech situation.
Mr O'Neill has predicted that the situation regarding free speech will deteriorate further under Starmer's leadership, despite the Prime Minister's public assertions about protecting expression rights.
In May, Sir Keir stated: "I am strongly in favour of free speech; we've had free speech in this country for a very long time and we protect it fiercely."
However, Mr O'Neill dismissed these claims as fundamentally dishonest. "For Keir Starmer to stand there and say, 'we have a proud tradition of free speech, I love free speech', he's lying through this teeth," he declared on GB News.
The commentator argued that current evidence contradicts the Prime Minister's position entirely.
"It's so clear we don't have free speech," Mr O'Neill stated, before delivering his ominous prediction: "It will get worse under Keir Starmer."