Nigel Farage has sparked controversy by warning US politicians that Britain’s online safety laws are threatening free speech.
Speaking to the House Judiciary Committee in Washington, the Reform Party leader claimed the UK has slipped into an “awful, authoritarian position” that could affect anyone, including Americans visiting the country.
The Case That Sparked the Debate
Farage’s comments came in the wake of the arrest of Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan at Heathrow Airport over tweets described as trans-sceptic.
Linehan’s detention has ignited a heated debate over police priorities and freedom of expression.
Farage argued that Linehan’s case illustrates a broader risk.
“He’s not even a British citizen, he’s an Irish citizen.
This could happen to any American man or woman that goes to Heathrow but has said things online that the British government and British police don’t like,” he told the committee.
“At what point did we become North Korea? Well, I think the Irish comedy writer found that out two days ago at Heathrow Airport.
This is a genuinely worrying, concerning, and shocking situation,” he added.
Warning About Trade and Free Speech
Farage claimed that the Online Safety Act could have wider consequences beyond the UK.
He warned it might harm trade between the UK and the US and threaten free speech across the West, citing potential knock-on effects from similar European legislation.
Pushback from Democrats
However, Farage’s version of events was met with skepticism.
Democrat Jamie Raskin criticized him sharply, labeling Farage a “far-right, Putin-loving politician,” a “free speech impostor,” and a “Trump sycophant.”
Raskin suggested that Farage should focus on advancing his positions in Parliament if he was serious about his concerns.
Highlighting Other Free Speech Cases
Farage also spoke about Lucy Connolly, jailed for stirring up racial hatred against asylum seekers after the Southport murders last year.
He described her case as a cautionary tale about how free speech can be curtailed.
“It was intemperate, it was wrong, but she removed it three-and-a-half hours later.
Sentenced to 31 months in prison. She’s now out, having served 40 per cent of the time,” Farage explained.
He had hoped to bring Connolly to Washington as “living proof of what can go wrong,” but restrictions prevented her from attending.
Political Fallout Back Home
Farage’s absence from the first week of Parliament after the summer break drew criticism from Sir Keir Starmer, who accused him of being unpatriotic for traveling to the US to “badmouth and talk down our country.”
The Prime Minister added that Farage was not representing his constituency while in Washington.
Farage’s Message to the US
Despite the backlash, Farage addressed the Republican-controlled session titled “Europe’s Threat to American Speech and Innovation.”
He highlighted how UK and EU online censorship laws, specifically the Online Safety Act and the EU Digital Services Act, could threaten Americans’ right to speak freely online.
“It doesn’t give me any great joy to be sitting in America and describing the really awful authoritarian situation that we have now sunk into,” he said, underscoring his concerns about the global implications of UK online legislation.