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Shocking cases reveal Britain’s Orwellian free speech crackdown
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With President Donald Trump’s slated departure for a state visit to the United Kingdom later this month, another high-profile arrest has exposed Britain’s growing free speech crisis.
The arrest of Arizona-based Irish comedian Graham Linehan, for allegedly criticizing transgender activists on social media, coincided with a Wednesday warning from British politician Nigel Farage to Congress that England is collapsing into a «really awful authoritarian situation.»
The leader of the populist Reform U.K. party, Farage, told U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday at a hearing on «European threats to free speech» that the sitcom writer Linehan found out what life is like in the totalitarian North Korean state on Monday at Heathrow Airport in London.
UK LOOKS TO TREAT MISOGYNY AS EXTREMIST VIOLENCE, RAISING FREE SPEECH CRACKDOWN CONCERNS
«Father Ted» co-creator Graham Linehan speaks to the media outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court, London, where he has pleaded not guilty to harassing a transgender woman and damaging her phone. The Irish comedy writer, 56, denied the charges of harassing Sophia Brooks on social media and damaging her mobile in October. Picture date: Monday May 12, 2025. (Lucy North/PA Images via Getty Images)
The arrest of Linehan in a nation that is widely considered one of the birthplaces of robust free speech has unleashed fierce criticism of the left-wing Labour government.
Comedian and actor John Cleese, whose film «The Life of Brian» satirized a biblical man who wished to become a woman named Loretta and have babies, wrote to his more than 5.3 million followers about Linehan: «I see that it took five London policemen to arrest a comedian. Meanwhile, people in Chelsea have learned not to waste their time reporting burglaries. Is this an intelligent use of resources?»
President Donald Trump declared on Thursday, that «I will just say that in terms of, U.K., strange things are happening over there. They are cracking down and surprisingly so. And I’ve spoken to the prime minister and, let’s see what happens. But, it is a different a little bit different situation. I’m very surprised to see what’s happening.»
Keir Starmer, UK prime minister, left, and US President Donald Trump, during a bilateral meeting at the Trump Turnberry golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, on Monday, July 28, 2025. Trump said he would reduce the 50-day deadline he gave Russian leader Vladimir Putin to reach a truce with Ukraine, saying he was disappointed in his counterpart over the continuation of the war. (Tolga Akmen/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at a February White House meeting that, «We’ve had free speech for a very, very long time in the United Kingdom — and it will last for a very, very long time.»
Egregious examples of a crackdown on free speech in recent years abound, according to critics in the U.K. and U.S., under both Conservative and Labour governments.
In January, Hertfordshire Police arrested parents, Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine, for messages shared in a parents’ WhatsApp chat group. Six officers searched their residence, and the couple were detained for eight hours over a spat with Cowley Hill Primary School. The school complained about Allen’s remarks about the hiring process for a senior teacher.
The Essex police launched an investigation into conservative Daily Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson for an allegedly racist X post that criticized the police in November 2024. She wrote, in the context of pro-Palestinian rallies, many of which embrace the terrorist organization Hamas: «How dare they. Invited to pose for a photo with lovely peaceful British Friends of Israel on Saturday police refused. Look at this lot smiling with the Jew haters.»
‘MONTY PYTHON’ COMEDIAN SAYS TRUMP EMBOLDENED PEOPLE TO LAUGH AGAIN AFTER WOKE ACTIVISTS RUINED COMEDY
Union Jack flags on Westminster Bridge opposite the Houses of Parliament on 6th November 2024 in London, United Kingdom. London is one of the worlds leading tourism destinations, with many famous tourist attractions, with Elizabeth Tower which contains Big Ben being one of the iconic views of the capital. (Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images)
In August, business owner Rob Davies, whose store had suffered from shoplifting, was advised by police to remove a handwritten note stating, «Due to scumbags shoplifting, please ask for assistance to open cabinets.» Davies refused and was not arrested.
The authorities jailed Lucy Connolly, wife of a Conservative party politician, because she posted an allegedly racist message on X after Axel Rudakubana murdered three children in Southport in Aug. 2024. «Mass deportation now. Set fire to all the f—— hotels full of the b——- for all I care. While you’re at it, take the treacherous government and politicians with them. I feel physically sick knowing what these families will now have to endure. If that makes me racist, so be it.» She deleted the post within four hours. The court imposed a 31-month prison sentence on Connolly.
Lucy Connolly, who was jailed for 31 months over a racist tweet that called for mass deportations, among other extreme remarks following the Southport attack, and who was recently released, takes part in a panel discussion during Britain’s Reform UK party conference in Birmingham, September 6, 2025. (Phil Noble/Reuters)
The vast crackdown on freedom of speech and thought in the United Kingdom is raising alarm bells on both sides of the Atlantic. Critics have alleged other forms of curbs on speech and thought in Britain.
Lois McLatchie Miller, a senior legal communications officer with the Britain-based Alliance Defending Freedom International, told Fox News Digital that the British authorities are using drastic measures to curtail the right to prayer. She said, «We support several individuals who have been praying silently near abortion centers.»
Adam Smith-Connor was required to pay $11,330 for praying in the buffer zone of abortion clinic in 2022. (Alliance Defending Freedom UK)
She cited the «most expensive prayer in history as one example» when Adam Smith-Connor, a British veteran of the Afghanistan war, in 2022 engaged in «three minutes of silent prayer,» that led to an order that he pay approximately $11,330.
«Adam was praying for his son, whom he lost to an abortion 22 years prior. He was also praying for the men and women facing difficult decisions about abortion that day,» according to the Alliance Defending Freedom International.
Vice President JD Vance warned that «Free speech, I fear, is in retreat» with respect to Smith-Connor’s case at the Munich Security Conference in February. McLatchie Miller said, «What JD Vance did was phenomenal.»
UK GOVERNMENT ACCUSED OF CRACKING DOWN ON FREE SPEECH: ‘THINK BEFORE YOU POST’
Livia Tossici-Bolt, a retired scientist, was arrested for standing outside an abortion clinic with a sign reading, «Here to talk if you want.» (ADF International)
McLatchie Miller cited additional alleged victims of Britain’s fast-moving crackdown on free speech, including the case of Catholic pro-life campaigner Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, who was «arrested for a thought crime,» close to an abortion clinic for silent prayer in 2022.
Livia Tossici-Bolt, a retired medical scientist, was arrested for standing outside an abortion facility with a sign stating: «Here to talk if you want.» The authorities arrested her for violating a «buffer zone» law that restricts protests at abortion clinics.
Scotland has been a kind of ground zero for restrictions on free speech rights for the pro-life community. The authorities arrested grandmother Rose Docherty for her silent protest outside an abortion facility in Glasgow. She held a sign that read: «Coercion is a crime, here to talk, if you want.»
Police officers in Liverpool, England (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
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Shawn Carney, president and CEO of the Texas-based 40 Days for Life, told Fox News Digital that his pro-life organization has U.K. citizen leaders who oversee networks in Britain. He termed the crackdown in the U.K. a «newfound bigotry for free speech. It has developed over the last few years.»
Asked why Britain is reportedly gutting free speech, he said, «My only guess is, the more pro-life the U.S. has gotten, the more they target their own citizens who are pro-life.» Carney added that the U.K.’s restrictions on free speech are also a reaction to President Trump’s pro-life policy. «The U.K. has been the laughingstock of free speech in the West,» said Carney.
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FIRST ON FOX: A group of House Republicans is raising concerns about the potential effects of the U.S. importing Argentinian beef after President Donald Trump floated the idea earlier this week.
Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., is leading seven other House GOP lawmakers in a letter to the president on Tuesday evening, warning the potential plan has rattled the multibillion-dollar American ranching industry.
«America’s cattle producers are among the most resilient and hardworking in the nation,» the Republicans wrote. «Collectively, the cattle industry supports thousands of jobs across our districts and contributes $112 billion to rural economies nationwide.»
«In recent days, we have heard strong concerns from producers regarding reports that the U.S. may import beef from Argentina.»
HOUSE PASSES TRUMP-BACKED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with President of Argentina Javier Milei in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, Oct. 14, 2025. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The House Republicans acknowledged the «importance of strong trade relationships and diverse markets» but added that beef producers in their districts «are seeking clarity on how this decision will be made, what safety and inspection standards will apply, and how this policy aligns with your administration’s commitment to strengthening American agriculture.»
Trump suggested Sunday that buying beef from Argentina could help lower prices for Americans at home, amid a wider promise to lower costs for U.S. citizens.
«One of the things we’re thinking about doing is beef from Argentina,» Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
He later elaborated in his conversation with reporters, «We would buy some beef from Argentina. If we do that, that will bring our beef prices down.»
«Our groceries are down, our energy prices are down. I think we’re going to have $2 gasoline pretty soon. We’re getting close and everything’s down. The one thing that’s kept up is beef,» Trump said.
He added that it would not be «that much» but argued it would help Argentina, a U.S. ally, as well.
58 HOUSE DEMS VOTE AGAINST RESOLUTION HONORING ‘LIFE AND LEGACY’ OF CHARLIE KIRK
Cattle drive to Centennial Ranch, San Juan Mountains, Colorado. (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
But the House Republicans questioned whether imported beef would be held to the same food safety and animal health requirements as that of the U.S., which they called «the gold standard.»
«Any import policy must hold foreign suppliers to those same rigorous standards. Introducing beef from countries with inconsistent safety or inspection records could undermine the confidence that U.S. ranchers have worked decades to earn,» the lawmakers warned.
«We respectfully request additional information on this matter and urge your administration to ensure that any future decisions are made with full transparency, sound science, and a firm commitment to the U.S. cattle industry. America’s producers can compete with anyone in the world. If given an opportunity, they will continue to respond quickly to the market demand for more quality American beef in our grocery stores.»
In addition to Fedorchak, the letter is also signed by Reps. Michelle Fischbach, R-Minn., Troy Downing, R-Mont., Gabe Evans, R-Colo., Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., Derek Schmidt, R-Kan., Jeff Hurd, R-Colo., and Republican Study Committee Chair August Pfluger, R-Texas.
White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News Digital in response, «The Trump administration remains committed to addressing the needs and concerns of American cattle producers and safeguarding their interests at home and abroad. That’s why the administration has secured billions in new export opportunities for American agricultural products in our historic trade deals with the UK, Japan, the EU, and others.»
«It’s also why the administration is focused on reversing a prolonged decrease in the supply of live cattle by growing American cattle herds with robust action to deliver disaster relief to cattle country, support new ranchers, and reduce risk for cattle producers,» Desai said.
Trump’s proposal has stirred some anxiety among some Republicans whose constituencies depend on cattle ranching.
Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., posted on X Tuesday, «If the goal is addressing beef prices at the grocery store, this isn’t the way.»
«The U.S. has safe, reliable beef, and it is the one bright spot in our struggling ag economy. Nebraska’s ranchers cannot afford to have the rug pulled out from under them when they’re just getting ahead or simply breaking even,» Fischer wrote.
Meanwhile, Fox News Digital was told that Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., also raised significant concerns about what importing beef from Argentina could do to the U.S. cattle ranching industry during a call with fellow House Republicans on Tuesday.
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But some Republican responses were more muted. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told reporters that Trump «definitely identified a problem» regarding a shortage of cattle in the U.S. He added, «I understand what he’s trying to get done. I think there’s more ways to implement it.»
Fedorchak herself told Fox News Digital, «We’ve all received a number of questions and calls from our constituents over the last few days, so we are asking for clarity on the administration’s long-term plans. Our farmers and ranchers stand ready to deliver on the president’s America-First agenda. North Dakotans take great pride in producing the safest, highest-quality beef in the world — and we should be building on that success.»
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Juan Manuel Santos, ex presidente de Colombia y Nobel de la Paz: “Los egos de los líderes llevados a esos extremos causan un tremendo daño»
Durante el foro de reflexión, Santos, Nobel de la Paz 2016, comentó un mensaje enviado por la líder disidente venezolana María Corina Machado, Premio Nobel de la Paz 2025. Foto: EFE/Enric FontcubertaINTERNACIONAL
Israel receives 2 more hostage coffins from Gaza through Red Cross operation as identification begins
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Israel on Tuesday received the coffins of two hostages returned from Gaza through the Red Cross, and officials said the remains will be identified before being released to their families as the military vowed to keep working to bring home all remaining captives.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the coffins were handed over to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet force inside Gaza. From there, they will be transferred to Israel, where they will be received in a military ceremony with the chief military rabbi.
Once received, the coffins will be placed in the custody of the National Center of Forensic Medicine of the Ministry of Health, where they will be identified. The families will receive formal notification once the process is complete.
The prime minister’s office said all families of the deceased hostages have been updated and sympathy has been expressed for their loss.
ISRAEL NAMES TWO OF FOUR DEAD HOSTAGES RETURNED BY HAMAS, HOW THEY DIED
People walk past posters of hostages held by the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv Oct. 10, 2025. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images)
«The effort to return our hostages continues ceaselessly and will not stop until the very last hostage is returned,» Netanyahu’s office said.
The news comes the same day remains of a hostage returned from Gaza were identified as Sgt. Maj. Tal Haimi, commander of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak’s rapid response team.
REMAINS OF LAST FEMALE HAMAS HOSTAGE AND IDF SOLDIER HANDED OVER TO ISRAEL
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as President Donald Trump prepares to deliver remarks to the Knesset Oct. 13, 2025 in Jerusalem. (Kenny Holston/Pool/Getty Images)
Haimi was 41 when he died, and, according to the IDF, he was killed in combat while defending Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. His remains were taken to Gaza, where they were held for more than two years.
Haimi’s family initially believed he was taken alive, and Israel declared him deceased Dec. 13, 2023.
REMAINS OF LAST FEMALE HAMAS HOSTAGE AND IDF SOLDIER HANDED OVER TO ISRAEL
The Israeli army held a military protocol for deceased hostage Tal Haimi. (IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)
Following the identification of Haimi’s remains, Netanyahu’s office expressed condolences to his family and reiterated its call for Hamas to release the remains of all deceased hostages for proper burial.
The IDF echoed the call, demanding Hamas fulfill its obligations under the agreement brokered by the Trump administration.
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On Oct. 13, 2025, the final 20 living hostages returned to Israel after more than two years in captivity. Since then, the remains of 28 deceased hostages have gradually been returned, while 13 others — including U.S. citizens Itay Chen and Omer Neutra and soldier Hadar Goldin, whose body has been held since 2014 — remain in Gaza.
Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
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