Nigel Farage takes free speech crusade to America as UK laws spark concern in US

Nigel Farage takes his free speech crusade to the US this week, when he gives evidence to a Congressional committee investigating the UK’s Online Safety Act. US politicians including vice-president JD Vance have condemned the law, which introduced age restrictions for pornographic and “harmful” websites from July 25, claiming it restricts freedom of speech in the US as well as in the UK.

Labour is using Mr Farage’s opposition to the legislation to step up attacks against Reform UK, which remains well ahead of other parties in opinion polls. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson last night accused the Reform leader of “gambling with children’s futures” and risking “a tidal wave of dangerous content”. But Mr Farage will on Wednesday give evidence to a House Judiciary Committee which is investigating “Europe’s threat to American speech and innovation.”

The hearing “will examine European threats to American free speech and innovation” according to the Committee, which is chaired by former amateur wrestling champion Jim Jordan, an ally of Donald Trump. Mr Jordan claimed the Online Safety Act and EU internet regulation “create a serious chilling effect on free expression and threaten the First Amendment rights of American citizens and companies”

Mr Farage has vowed to repeal the Act if he becomes Prime Minister, calling it “state suppression of genuine free speech”.

Labour is using the pledge to attack Mr Farage, as part of a renewed drive to take the political battle to Reform. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the new regulations were protecting children from material that encouraged eating disorders and self harm.

She said: “No child should be exposed to harmful material online, and content promoting self-harm and eating disorders is particularly dangerous. Nigel Farage is gambling with children’s futures through his reckless plan to scrap online safeguards, which threatens to unleash a tidal wave of potentially damaging content onto phones and screens across the country.”

Labour last week claimed Mr Farage’s opposition to the Government’s EU deals created “a risk to jobs and a risk of food prices going up” .

It comes as a new poll found Mr Farage would step into Downing Street with a 400 seat landslide if an election was held today. His party has a 15-point lead over Labour, with the backing of 35% of voters, while Labour is on 20% and Conservatives are backed by 17%.

Reform UK hold their annual conference in Birmingham starting on Friday. Mr Farage’s speech will be the highlight of the event but the party will also attempt to turn the spotlight onto other leading figures, in an effort to show it is not a “one man band”.

Delegates will also hear from new and younger faces such as Coun Annie May O’Neill, who starred in an advertising campaign to sell “Reform FC” football shirts in the party’s colours, and Coun Charlotte Hill, a former Miss Derbyshire contestant who is now Derbyshire County council’s Cabinet Member for Potholes, Highways and Transport.

There will be fire side chat sessions on the main stage with Reform council leaders and the party’s two new mayors, former olympic gold medalist boxer Luke Campbell and Dame Andrea Jenkyns, in a bid to show Reform is developing a team capable of governing the country.