Lucy Connolly Should Be Released

The political Right throughout the Western world is baying to lock up all opponents of genocide. The very notion of free speech is under fundamental attack. We need to take a long hard look at the question of imprisoning people for saying things.

Lucy Connolly, a 41-year-old mother of a 12-year-old, was imprisoned for 31 months on 17 October 2024 under the Public Order Act 1986 for publishing material intended or likely to cause racial hatred. There is no doubt that she did this. In an immediate reaction to the stabbing to death of three young girls in Southport, she published a tweet calling for the burning down of hotels housing asylum seekers, specifically with the inhabitants still inside. This is a textbook example of hate speech directed at a vulnerable group.

Connolly's remarks were part of an emotionally charged social media storm in the immediate aftermath of the murders, which included false allegations about the killer's status and religion. There is no doubt that Connolly crossed a line of incitement to violence. She is an avowed racist - she has a history of racist tweets - but I do not think she should be in jail.

PRISON DOES NO GOOD

My first argument is that prison does no good whatsoever, and it will likely reinforce Connolly's racism.

When imprisoned for four months for publication myself, I learnt that our overcrowded prisons are chock full of the left-behind members of the working class - 80% of them addicts by official reckoning, and still higher in my experience - born into poverty and addiction, and ill educated.

Many were there for domestic violence yet they were now locked into a community which supported and reinforced their violence. I personally witnessed inmates