Lucy Connolly Jailed for Racist Migrant Tweet After Southport Murders: Case Raised with US Secretary Rubio Amid Free Speech Debate

Lucy Connolly, the wife of Conservative councillor Ray Connolly, is at the center of a growing free speech debate in the UK. She was jailed for 31 months for posting a racist tweet after the tragic Southport murders last year. Her appeal against the sentence was rejected on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, by the Court of Appeal.

Lucy, a 42-year-old former childminder and mother, wrote the tweet just hours after Axel Rudakubana murdered three young girls during a dance class on July 29, 2023. Her tweet said:
“Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f**ing hotels full of the b******* for all I care… if that makes me racist so be it.”*

The post was online for about three and a half hours before Lucy deleted it. She said she acted in a moment of extreme grief and emotion, triggered by false information and painful memories of losing her baby son Harry due to medical negligence 13 years ago.

Despite deleting the tweet and apologizing, Lucy was arrested in August and later admitted to inciting racial hatred. She has already spent 9 months behind bars at HMP Drake Hall in Staffordshire.

After her appeal was dismissed, her husband Ray Connolly said:
“She posted one bad tweet when she was angry and upset over the brutal murder of three little girls. She is not a far-right thug. She realized it was wrong and deleted it. But now, our 12-year-old daughter is suffering the most.”

U.S. Figures Raise Voice

American political commentator Charlie Kirk, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, raised Lucy’s case during a visit to the UK. While speaking at the Oxford Union, he said:
“Lucy Connolly is going to jail for a deleted social media post. That is not how a free country should work.”

Kirk later appeared on GB News, saying he would contact US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to bring attention to the matter. He called Lucy’s jail term “outrageous,” comparing it to softer punishments given for serious crimes.

“Why is she in jail for a tweet while others walk free after shoplifting, abuse, or even child exploitation?” he questioned.

Political Backlash

The case has drawn attention from several British figures. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that Britain is losing its global image as a defender of free speech. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick asked:
“How can a tweet bring a longer sentence than violent crime?”

Toby Young, head of the Free Speech Union, also criticized the justice system. He said, “Lucy should be with her family, not locked up over a single post.”

Public Reaction

Following the Southport tragedy, there were violent protests in cities like Rotherham. The public mood was highly emotional. Still, many question whether jailing a woman for a post—made in grief—was fair justice.

Lucy is expected to stay in prison until at least August 2025, after serving two-fifths of her sentence. Her family continues to hope for early release or political support to reduce her sentence.