Nigel Farage claimed the U.K. had become like North Korea in its approach to free speech while giving evidence to the U.S. Congress Wednesday.
In his opening statement, Farage, who was wearing a GB News badge, said the U.K. had sunk into an “awful authoritarian situation,” citing the cases of Lucy Connolly and Graham Linehan.
Connolly was jailed after calling for migrant hotels to be “set fire” to in a post on X amid the Southport Riots last summer. Farage described her post as “intemperate.”
Linehan was arrested by police at Heathrow Airport this week for posts, also made on X, about trans people. Farage said what happened to Linehan could “happen to any American.”
Farage warned the U.K.’s Online Safety Act would “damage trade between our countries” and ended by asking “At what point did we become North Korea?”
Neither Connolly nor Linehan were arrested under the U.K.’s Online Safety Act, rather the Public Order Act of 1986.
Three hours before Farage’s appearance, U.K. prime minister Keir Starmer used his weekly session in front of the House of Commons to attack Farage.
“He’s flown to America, to badmouth and talk down our country,” Starmer said. “Worse than that… he’s gone there to lobby the Americans to impose sanctions on this country, which will harm working people. You cannot get more unpatriotic than that. It’s a disgrace.”
Farage also came under fire from U.S. Congressman Jamie Raskin, the committee’s leading Democratic member, during the session.
Before Farage gave his opening statement, Raskin labelled the Clacton MP a “far-right, pro-Putin politician” a “Donald Trump sycophant and wannabe,” and a “free speech imposter.” “There is no free speech crisis in Britain,” he continued. “Mr Starmer has not shut down GB News, a station Mr Farage hosts a show on.”
Raskin added Farage should be talking to his own Parliament about his concerns. The two sparred over freedom of speech in July, when Raskin was in the U.K. with a delegation from the House of Representatives.
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