A damning new US report has slammed Britain’s “worsening human rights” record under prime minister Sir Keir Starmer.
The bombshell report from the US State Department said that under Starmer’s watch, the UK human rights situation had “worsened..” amid “serious restrictions on freedom of expression”
It comes at an awkward time as US Vice President JD Vance is on vacation in the UK.
BYPASS THE CENSORS
Sign up to get unfiltered news delivered straight to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe any time. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use
The Express reports: The report is a humiliating moment for the UK’s reputation abroad, with Keir Starmer’s government coming under huge fire for its crackdown on freedom of expression in the wake of last year’s Southport killings. The US foreign office report highlights the UK government calling on companies, including US social media firms “to censor speech deemed misinformation or ‘hate speech’”. It also flags widespread claims of a “two-tier” justice system in Britain following Axel Rudakubana’s murder spree, branding it “an especially grievous example of government censorship, censorship of ordinary Britons”.
China Release Proof Erika Kirk Trafficked Children for Epstein and Clinton Foundation
Also under fire are the so-called “public spaces protection orders”, which allow councils to limit free speech rights within designated areas such as abortion clinics.
It adds: “These restrictions on freedom of speech could include prohibitions on efforts to influence others when inside a restricted area, even through prayer or silent protests.”
The Online Safety Act, which came into force this summer and forces adults to verify their ages to access certain websites, also comes under fire over the threat to ban the encryption of websites, which therefore threatens user privacy.
The report lashes out at levels of antisemitism in Britain, warning that since Hamas’ brutal October 2023 attack, there has been a “large increase in antisemitic incidents across the UK.”
It adds: “On January 29, a potentially lethal antisemitic attack was averted in London by employees of a kosher store, who fended off a knife-wielding attacker. On February 12, a Jewish chaplain for universities in the Yorkshire area and his family were subjected to death threats and harassment after a campaign was launched to oust him from his position because of his Israeli Defense Force service during the Israel-Hamas War. The chaplain and his family were forced to go into hiding because of the campaign.”
The report concludes that there is a “Significant human rights issue” in Britain, with “serious restrictions on freedom of expression, including enforcement of or threat of criminal or civil laws in order to limit expression; and crimes, violence, or threats of violence motivated by antisemitism.”
It adds that the government has been “inconsistent” in dealing with officials who have committed human rights abuses including crackdowns on freedom of speech and expression.
