Keir Starmer backs Lucy Connolly’s prison sentence over hate tweet after Southport attack

Sir Keir Starmer has backed the courts over Lucy Connolly’s prison sentence, stating that he is “against incitement of violence to other people”.

The wife of a former Tory councillor was sentenced to 31 months in prison for inciting racial hatred online in the aftermath of the Southport attack last year.

Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday (21 May), Sir Keir said that whilst he is “strongly in favour of free speech”, he is staunchly opposed to any incitement of violence against individuals, when asked about Connolly’s case by Independent MP Rupert Lowe.

Connolly’s Court of Appeal application against her jail term was dismissed yesterday by three judges at the Royal Courts of Justice.