Former PM Johnson Warns Britain Becoming Police State Amid Online Speech Crackdown

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Sir Nick Clegg have criticized the UK government's handling of online speech, particularly highlighting the case of Lucy Connolly, who was jailed for a tweet posted after the Southport attacks. Connolly, a mother and former childminder, was sentenced to 31 months for inciting racial hatred after urging people on social media to 'set fire' to asylum hotels, a message she deleted within hours. Johnson described the UK's policing of online comments as excessive, warning that the country is becoming a police state under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with over 10,000 arrests annually for online comments—more than in Russia. Sir Nick Clegg called for a rethink of current laws, arguing that policing online speech with legislation predating modern technologies leads to overly censorious actions and an unrealistic expectation that the internet should always be 'nice.' Connolly's appeal against her sentence was rejected, sparking concerns about a 'two-tier justice' system where her punishment seems disproportionate compared to sentences given for more serious crimes. The case has raised broader fears about free speech in the UK and the government's approach to controlling online discourse.