Bill Maher closed out Friday’s Real Time by making a case for protecting free speech—even when it’s uncomfortable. He argued that while flag burning might offend many, criminalizing it undermines a core American value. He also warned that censorship and punishment of speech could make the U.S. resemble the U.K., where people reportedly face arrests for contentious social media posts.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer fired the country's ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, after emails exposed the official's connections to Jeffrey Epstein.
Father Ted creator Graham Linehan says he is ready to leave Britain for good, claiming police are working hand in hand with transgender activists and that free speech is collapsing in the country. Instead, the Irish comedy writer says he hopes to settle in the United States to escape what he described as “nut-jobs.”
The collapse of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has thrown Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government into turmoil, sparking speculation about whether it can survive its full term or will face an early election. Rayner, once one of Labour’s few popular figures, resigned after revelations she underpaid taxes on her £800,000 second home, dealing a heavy blow to the party.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage declared that Britain’s Labour government is in “deep crisis” and predicted it would not last a full term, telling supporters that his party must prepare to take power as early as 2027. Speaking at Reform’s annual conference in Birmingham on Friday, Farage addressed party members just hours after Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner resigned, calling it the clearest sign yet of fractures inside Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet.
Former Conservative cabinet minister Nadine Dorries has delivered a major blow to Britain’s ruling party, announcing her defection to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. Dorries, who served as Culture Secretary under Boris Johnson, declared in a Daily Mail column that the “Tory Party is dead” and that only Farage has the answers to the crises facing the country.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) warned Wednesday night that the United States may soon see the same kind of speech-related arrests taking place in the United Kingdom and Europe—unless action is taken to protect Americans’ First Amendment rights. The remarks came during an appearance on Fox News Channel’s Hannity, where Jordan discussed rising censorship threats and international trends in free speech suppression.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage delivered a stark warning to the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, urging lawmakers to confront growing censorship laws in Britain that he claims threaten free expression across the Western world. Speaking before the House Judiciary Committee, Farage compared the United Kingdom to “North Korea” and called on the United States to pressure its ally to uphold shared values of liberty and free speech.
