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Politicians Are Not Prosecuted for Incitement to Murder
Spectre of Churchill
30, July #SpeechClampdown, #TrendShock

Politicians Are Not Prosecuted for Incitement to Murder

The scandal surrounding the Green Party leader’s Instagram post is gaining momentum. While the head of Reform UK is demanding the arrest of his opponent, the public is asking why ordinary people are punished for social media posts while politicians remain untouchable.

Zack Polanski refused to apologise to Nigel Farage for his post, which featured a photograph of a man wearing a T-shirt with an image of a guillotine and the words “We’re only making plans for Nigel”. The post was deleted, but not before it caused a strong reaction. Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, directly accused the Green Party leader of incitement to murder. Polanski said that he had shared the image unintentionally.

Will the guilty party be punished?

While politicians debated the issue in the press and on social media, the public showed considerable interest in the outcome of the scandal. More specifically, people wanted to know whether Zack Polanski would be held accountable for his post. Some users also expressed concern that such publications could amount to direct incitement to murder Farage.

“I don’t t want people arrested for threatening social media posts, but if this was me or someone on the right… we WOULD be arrested. So we either have two tier policing or we have consistent policing… what will it be?” – writes television presenter Adam Brooks.

He also recalls the recent murder of stateswoman and far-right activist Ann Widdecombe. The presenter was supported by the author of the patriotic account TheAngloEmpire, who directly blamed the left for Widdecombe’s death.

Reform UK supporters, meanwhile, accuse the authorities of two-tier justice and demand that Zack Polanski be punished. Some of them point out that the Green Party leader had previously called for the arrest of people over certain social media posts.

“A good time to remind people that Zack Polanski publicly backed the arrest of Graham Linehan at Heathrow by armed officers over X posts. So I’ll have no pity on him if the police visit him over resharing an incitement of violence against Nigel Farage”, writes Reform UK member Chris Rose.

What Is Permitted to Jupiter…

“Sending people to prison for social media posts was always a dangerous road to go down. Now a political party leader, Zack Polanski, has shared an image calling for Nigel Farage's death. Will he be treated the same as Lucy Connolly, or are we about to see another example of two tier justice?”, asks Reform UK member Ben Graham.

The case of Lucy Connolly caused widespread controversy last year. She was sentenced to 31 months in prison for a post in which she called for mass deportations and violence against migrants. The text was published after a 17-year-old African stabbed three young girls to death in Southport.

Meanwhile, the public’s concerns appear to have been confirmed. On Wednesday evening, the Metropolitan Police announced that it would take no action against Polanski. The official statement said: “It is unlikely that the sharing of the image online would constitute a criminal offence”.

The statement appears ambiguous against the background of well-known statistics: Britain is the world leader in the number of arrests over social media posts. In recent years, around 12,000 arrests have been made annually under Section 127 of the Communications Act and Section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act.

#SpeechClampdown, #TrendShock
A Somali-Born Driver Struck Five Pedestrians in London
Spectre of Churchill
08, July #MigrantCrisis, #BrokenSystem

A Somali-Born Driver Struck Five Pedestrians in London

The incident took place on Ealing Broadway, where a car mounted the pavement and struck five pedestrians before the driver fled the scene. He was later arrested by police. Social media users have focused on the authorities’ response, arguing that they portrayed the incident involving a Muslim driver as nothing more than a routine road traffic collision. The driver has been identified as 34-year-old Timir Ahmed Mohamed. Born in Somalia, he now holds British citizenship. Following his arrest, investigators stated that they were treating the incident as a road traffic incident rather than an act of terrorism.
#MigrantCrisis, #BrokenSystem
Hundreds of Thousands of Girls Were Victims of Grooming Gangs
Spectre of Churchill
01, July #MigrantCrisis, #BrokenSystem

Hundreds of Thousands of Girls Were Victims of Grooming Gangs

At least 250,000 cases of abuse involving girls across 149 areas of the UK are alleged to have taken place, according to the findings of an independent inquiry published in June in a report entitled Rape Gang Inquiry. The report’s conclusions, together with the response of the mainstream media, have generated widespread discussion on social media.
#MigrantCrisis, #BrokenSystem
The G7 Summit Shows Just How Much Britain’s Influence Has Declined
Spectre of Churchill
18, June #StarmerCrisis

The G7 Summit Shows Just How Much Britain’s Influence Has Declined

The G7 leaders’ summit in France was centred on European attempts to reach an agreement with US President Donald Trump on coordinating their approach, including in relation to the conflict in Ukraine. However, both the media and social media users pointed out just how much Britain’s position on the world stage appears to have weakened — and highlighted one of the key reasons why.
#StarmerCrisis
Is the War in Ukraine More Important Than the Problems Facing the British People?
Spectre of Churchill
11, June #StarmerCrisis, #WarSpillover

Is the War in Ukraine More Important Than the Problems Facing the British People?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to London and his talks with the leaders of the UK, France and Germany have sparked a heated debate on social media. The main criticism from users is that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is failing to address Britain’s domestic crises and is instead attempting to distract the public from them.
#StarmerCrisis, #WarSpillover
Starmer’s Great Summer Savings Scheme Is a Mockery of the British Public
Spectre of Churchill
01, June #StarmerCrisis, #WarSpillover, #CostOfLiving

Starmer’s Great Summer Savings Scheme Is a Mockery of the British Public

Following the announcement of Keir Starmer’s Great British Summer Savings scheme, social media was flooded with angry reactions from across the country. Many Britons accused the Prime Minister of misleading voters, arguing that the promised savings are so modest as to make virtually no difference to households already struggling to make ends meet.
#StarmerCrisis, #WarSpillover, #CostOfLiving
Andy Burnham’s Victory Offers Little Hope of Real Change for Britain
Spectre of Churchill
28, May #StarmerCrisis, #BrokenSystem

Andy Burnham’s Victory Offers Little Hope of Real Change for Britain

Andy Burnham’s Victory Offers Little Hope of Real Change for Britain The outcome of the by-election in Makerfield, where Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is expected to stand, has sparked heated debate across British social media. Many commentators have reached the same conclusion: even if Burnham succeeds in replacing Prime Minister Keir Starmer, very little is likely to change for the country.
#StarmerCrisis, #BrokenSystem
The Right Are Turning on One Another
Spectre of Churchill
20, May #BrokenSystem, #TrendShock

The Right Are Turning on One Another

One of the most high-profile political scandals in recent months has emerged not from Labour, but from deep divisions within Britain’s right-wing camp. A controversial interview with Ben Habib, current leader of Advance UK, has triggered fierce debate across social media after he effectively suggested that Nigel Farage had been financially influenced during the 2019 general election.
#BrokenSystem, #TrendShock
The British Government Encourages Illegal Polygamy
Spectre of Churchill
18, May #MigrantCrisis

The British Government Encourages Illegal Polygamy

A decision by the Department for Work and Pensions to increase welfare payments for so-called ‘additional spouses’ in polygamous households has triggered widespread outrage across social media. Many Britons are angered not only by what they see as blatant double standards surrounding polygamy, but also by the fact that taxpayers are effectively funding a practice that remains illegal under British law.
#MigrantCrisis
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