Reform UK Party Leader Nigel Farage on Sunday said he fears his own government could arrest him for violating the Public Order [of] Act 1986 — which consists of vague speech laws.
The laws were creatively interpreted a week and a half ago by the United Kingdom's Prime Minister Keir Starmer to give way for pre-crime enforcement — that one could be arrested under the suspicion of intent of stoking racial hatred.
When asked during an appearance on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" if he fears he could be arrested for speech in regards to the U.K. national, born of Rwandan parents, stabbing three girls, Farage responded, "Yes."
"Yes," Farage said. "I mean, after the murder — after the triple murder of those poor, sweet little girls — a few hours went by, and there was huge speculation online about this man: Was he an illegal immigrant? Was he an Islamist?
"No one knew the truth. And I simply asked on X — I simply asked, Did this man have a record? Is he somebody that the security services were watching? [The] answer there came, none.
Then after the riots happened, you've got the whole establishment saying that I encouraged rioting. Well, I mean, all I did was to say, Please, tell us the truth.
"Funny enough, if they had told us the truth, the rioting would not have been anything like as bad as it was. And the authorities need to wake up to an online world. So, yes, I am currently coming under serious assault, and many of the campaigners on the left are publicly saying that I should be arrested simply for asking to know the truth about the murderer. So, yes, I'm worried."
On Aug. 1, Starmer held a press conference stating that he would go after "social media companies and those who run them," and that he's going to hold people accountable for things they say online.
"We may be talking," Farage added, "we may be talking in the wake of some pretty ugly, violent riots. But if that is used as an excuse for government and big social media companies to close down debate for things that they find inconvenient, then what [is the] price [of] democracy?"
Nick Koutsobinas ✉
Nick Koutsobinas, a Newsmax writer, has years of news reporting experience. A graduate from Missouri State University’s philosophy program, he focuses on exposing corruption and censorship.
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