US accuses UK of 'significant human rights issues' and restricting free speech

The US State Department has accused the UK of having "significant quality rights issues", including restrictions connected escaped speech.

The unflattering appraisal comes via a caller mentation of an yearly Human Rights Practices report, with its work coinciding with Vice President JD Vance's vacation successful the Cotswolds.

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It says quality rights successful the UK "worsened" successful 2024, with "credible reports of superior restrictions connected state of expression", arsenic good arsenic "crimes, violence, oregon threats of unit motivated by antisemitism" since the 7 October Hamas onslaught against Israel.

On escaped speech, portion "generally provided" for, the study cites "specific areas of concern" astir limits connected "political code deemed 'hateful' oregon 'offensive'".

Sir Keir Starmer has antecedently defended the UK's grounds connected escaped code aft concerns were raised by Mr Vance.

In effect to the report, a UK authorities spokesperson said: "Free code is captious for ideology astir the satellite including present successful the UK, and we are arrogant to uphold freedoms whilst keeping our citizens safe."

The US study highlights Britain's nationalist abstraction extortion orders, which let councils to restrict definite activities successful immoderate nationalist places to forestall antisocial behaviour.

It besides references "safe entree zones" astir termination clinics, which the Home Office says are designed to support women from harassment oregon distress.

They person been criticised by Mr Vance before, notably backmost successful February during a headline-grabbing code at the Munich Security Conference.

The study besides criticises the Online Safety Act and accuses ministers of intervening to "chill speech" astir past summer's murders successful Southport, highlighting arrests made successful the aftermath of the consequent riots.

Ministers person said the Online Safety Act is astir protecting children, and repeatedly gone truthful acold arsenic to suggest radical who are opposed to it are connected the broadside of predators.

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The study comes months aft Sir Keir spot backmost astatine Mr Vance during a acme astatine the White House, cutting successful erstwhile Donald Trump's VP claimed determination are "infringements connected escaped speech" successful the UK.

"We've had escaped code for a precise agelong time, it volition past a agelong time, and we are precise arrogant of that," the PM said.

But Mr Vance again raised concerns during a gathering with Foreign Secretary David Lammy astatine his state property successful Kent past week, saying helium didn't privation the UK to spell down a "very acheronian path" of losing escaped speech.

The US State Department's study echoes akin accusations made by the likes of Nigel Farage and Elon Musk.

The Trump medication itself has been accused of trying to curtail escaped code and stifle criticism, astir notably by targeting universities - Harvard main among them.