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JD Vance lambasts not-so-Great-Britain
February 20, 2025
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J.D. Vance set off a storm with his comments in Munich on the parlous state of free speech in Europe and an official clampdown on pro-life prayer. The Guardian labelled him an extremist for launching what they called “a broadside against the UK’s efforts to protect women seeking an abortion”.
The Guardian – that fearless crusader for freedom and equality – described Vance’s speech as “a wide-ranging tirade against Europe”, adding that his comments on pro-life censorship were being lambasted as “inaccurate and misogynistic by a number of groups, politicians and governments.”
However, from those truly concerned about free speech, he received resounding applause and his intervention, along with President Trump’s moves within days of taking office to cancel “diversity” fascism – and in so doing, defending free speech – represent for many people a sign of hope that free expression, which has seemed to be on its last legs, is not dead yet.
The dire state into which our own right to free speech in the United Kingdom has fallen can be judged by the case, referenced by Vance, of Adam Smith-Connor, a British forces veteran prosecuted for silently praying for the son that he allowed to be aborted – and also Isabel Vaughan-Spruce.
In a seemingly hopeful sign, Vaughan-Spruce recently received £13,000 in compensation for being repeatedly fined, harassed and wrongly arrested by police on several occasions since 2022. However – around the same time Vance made his remarks – she was yet again interrogated for silently praying and told that her mere presence in the street was illegal because it might upset somebody.
Consider also the case of Livia Tossici-Bolt, a 63-year-old retired medical scientist, who faces trial for merely standing silently holding a sign reading “here to talk, if you want to” near an abortion facility in Bournemouth – to which, in response, “[s]everal individuals approached her” anxious to access that help.
In all these cases, “the process is the punishment”. Unlike every other offence, such peaceful individuals can be serially charged and exonerated over and over again. And in a clear case of “two-tier policing”, there is never any shortage of “thought police” to probe their private prayers, even while shoplifting has been virtually legalised, and burglaries go unattended - not to mention violent and sexual offences becoming commonplace.
But any suggestions of double standards were dismissed in a recently leaked Home Office dossier which claimed accusations of two-tier policing were “nothing but a “right wing extremist narrative”.
And it is not just in England: Northern Ireland, where the 1967 Abortion Act never applied, has more recently had an even worse anti-life law imposed upon it, leading to soaring numbers of abortions. Not to be outdone, Scotland’s buffer zones are even more draconian, with offences attracting fines of thousands of pounds. As Vance pointed out – to much harrumphing from the Scottish government -- residents have been informed that even prayer behind closed doors may be illegal if glimpsed from outside.
But as well as failing to protest about this blatant discrimination, the self-styled defenders of the most vulnerable in society ignore the millions made from killing those who are most vulnerable. Our abortion “charities”, which admit that the cost-of-living crisis is driving many abortion requests, are rewarded with huge amounts of taxpayers’ money - paying themselves handsomely into the bargain – even though their business is to terminate the existence of future taxpayers.
Sadly, the plight of those who have continued to try to offer help to needy pregnant women and save unborn babies has received scant attention, even from those who defend free speech; meanwhile the BBC and other media outlets are forced to illustrate their stories about “pro-life harassment” with pictures of peaceful elderly “protesters”, and unmolested abortion premises.
The warning signs are clear, and J.D. Vance has helpfully pointed them out even for the benefit of those who still believe that the emperor is fully clothed – the naked hypocrisy of woke ideology, which demands free speech only for those who agree with its tenets. However, the chilling effect of treating peaceful prayer as some kind of hate crime may end up freezing not free speech but cooling the ardour of those illiberal “liberals” who, while supporting the death penalty for the innocent unborn and labelling their defenders right-wing extremists, would charge those who refer to Islamist terrorism with the “crime” of “islamophobia”.
The progressive classes would prosecute those trying to protect the innocent unborn, while defending their persecutors. Thank goodness J.D. Vance has uncovered the embarrassing, but blazingly obvious truth.
Should silent prayer really be a criminal offence?
Ann Farmer writes from the United Kingdom. She has a Master’s degree in Jewish-Christian relations.
Image credits: Livia Tossici-Bolt / LifeNews.com
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Marty Hayden commented 2025-02-24 06:28:12 +1100illiberal “liberals” I love it. Keep it coming Ann. Sadly, most conservatives don’t even realize the gloves are off until they are on the canvas. And these days a lot of conservative voices are kissing canvas. But the left took their gloves off a long time ago. -
Juan Llor Baños commented 2025-02-22 00:15:58 +1100Congratulations!! Excellent article!!
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Emberson Fedders commented 2025-02-21 12:31:55 +1100I agree that the cases you have highlighted are wrong, but JD Vance and the entire administration that he is a part of are clearly not for free speech. Just because he says it, doesn’t mean it’s true.
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mrscracker commented 2025-02-20 23:18:25 +1100Thank you so much for sharing this Miss Ann.
It’s so disappointing to hear these things from the UK. Britain had a proud role in the abolition movement . The USA was decades behind Britain in that. I hope that this present human rights reform has a happy outcome in the UK eventually also.
God bless you and God bless the UK. -
