JD Vance directly calls out Keir Starmer for ‘infringing on free speech’ in UK: Watch
At the Munich Security Conference, Vice President JD Vance called out UK PM Keir Starmer for actions seen as infringing on free speech.
Vice President JD Vance directly called out British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a press conference on Thursday of “infringements on free speech.”
During his remarks at the Munich Security Conference on February 14, Vance urged European nations to uphold free speech and protect fundamental values. “I said what I said, which is that we do of course have a special relationship with our friends in the U.K. and also with some of our European allies,” he said.
“But we also know that there have been infringements on free speech that actually affect, not just the British, which, of course, what the British do in their own country is up to them, but has also affected American technology companies and by extension, American citizens. So that’s something that we’ll talk about today at lunch.”
Vance also addressed Adam Smith-Connor case
Also addressing the Adam Smith-Connor case, a military veteran and father, who was arrested and convicted for silently praying within a “buffer zone” near an abortion clinic, Vance stated, “And perhaps most concerning, I look to our dear friends, the United Kingdom, where the backslide away from conscience rights has placed the basic liberties of religious Brits in particular in the crosshairs.”
“A little over two years ago, the British government charged Adam Smith-Connor, a 51-year-old physiotherapist and an army veteran with the heinous crime of standing 50 meters from an abortion clinic and silently praying for three minutes. Not obstructing anyone, not interacting with anyone, just silently praying on his own.”
Starmer reassured that the UK has upheld free speech for “a very, very long time” and intends to maintain it in the years to come. “Certainly, we wouldn’t want to reach across US citizens, and we don’t, and that’s absolutely right, but in relation to free speech in the UK I’m very proud of our history there.”
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However, concerns over restrictions persist, particularly following the British government's actions in response to violent riots in the summer of 2024. To curb further unrest, the government expanded facial recognition surveillance and pushed social media platforms to regulate misinformation and hate speech. New digital speech laws have since been enacted, setting regulations on online content deemed harmful.
Reports also suggest that the UK has threatened to arrest and extradite US citizens for online statements that could allegedly incite violence, according to CBS Austin.
