UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Reform UK’s Richard Tice backs “Lucy’s Bill” to let citizens challenge harsh sentences, after backlash over Lucy Connolly’s jail term for an X post.
As reported by The Telegraph, Richard Tice has called for new measures in sentencing laws to prevent cases like Lucy Connolly’s from leading to prison time.
He plans to introduce “Lucy’s Bill” to Parliament on Wednesday, aiming to let the public appeal against harsh sentences.
The plan would allow people to ask for reviews of court rulings they believe are wrong, helping to catch judicial errors.
What did Richard Tice say about Lucy Connolly’s case?
Richard Tice will meet Connolly at HMP Peterborough on Tuesday, telling her she’s not been forgotten as he outlines details of “Lucy’s Bill.” He said he planned to visit her after hearing concerns about possible mistreatment during her time in custody.
He wants a law change so the public can join forces to challenge tough sentences they believe are unfair, to prevent biased justice. Mr Richard Tice said he is pursuing the measure independently, but it might become part of Reform’s agenda later. All four Reform MPs will back him this week.
He stated,
“The purpose of the Bill is to say that the whole point about justice in a democracy is that it must be seen to be natural and fair … But occasionally judges and courts get it wrong.”
He said the Bill would provide
“democratic safeguards against overzealous two-tier justice imposed against particular individuals, especially those who have effectively become political prisoners.”
Mr Tice said the public should serve as “a sort of backstop” in cases where sentences are clearly “too lenient or too harsh” about the offence.
He stated,
“I want to reassure Lucy that many of us as MPs, we’re not forgetting about her, we’re continuing to battle for her, and that, in a sense, this could be part of her legacy.”
Mr Tice said the cases under “Lucy’s law” should be handled by the Criminal Cases Review Commission instead of Attorney General Lord Hermer, whose recent judgments have drawn sharp criticism.
Why did Connolly get a tougher sentence than violent criminals?
Lord Hermer chose not to review lenient sentences given to a rapist, paedophile, and terrorist fundraiser, even as he signed off on Connolly’s case.
The three offenders received lighter sentences than Connolly. Mr Tice argued this showed Lord Hermer viewed an offensive tweet as more serious than rape, child abuse, or terrorism.
What was Connolly’s tweet after the Southport murders?
In October, former childminder Lucy Connolly was sentenced over a post made on X just hours after a knife rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed event in Southport that killed three girls.
She posted,
“Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f—ing hotels full of the b——s for all I care, while you’re at it, take the treacherous government politicians with them. I feel physically sick knowing what these [Southport] families will now have to endure. If that makes me racist, so be it.”
In a follow-up post, she criticised the riots sparked by the Southport stabbings, adding,
“FS, I get they’re angry. I’m f—ing raging, however, this is playing right into their hands. I do not want civil unrest on our streets. Tommy Robinson is not going to say, but this is not going to get anyone anywhere. Protests, yes, but not riots.”
Earlier this year, the Court of Appeal rejected Connolly’s plea for a reduced sentence, stating her post incited serious violence and did not justify leniency.
What did Charlie Kirk say about free speech in the UK?
Donald Trump ally Charlie Kirk has declared that free speech is “dead” in the UK, citing the prison sentence handed to Lucy Connolly as proof.
He said,
“As of today, Lucy Connolly is going to jail for two-and-a-half years in this country for a social media post that she apologised for and deleted… That is not a free speech battle at all.”
Mr Kirk added,
“You should be allowed to say outrageous things. You should be allowed to say contrarian things. Free speech is a birthright that you gave us, and you guys decided not to codify it, and now it’s – poof! – It is gone.”