US meddles in UK’s inside relations
(MENAFN) The United States has been accused of interfering in British domestic matters after American officials reportedly met with UK anti-abortion activists who claim they are being targeted for expressing their views, according to a Saturday report by The Telegraph. The visit is being viewed as part of Washington's growing interest in UK civil liberties, particularly under the Trump administration.
In March, a delegation from the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) traveled to the UK. They held discussions with the British Foreign Office and Ofcom, the communications regulator, stressing the importance of free speech both in the UK and across Europe. These meetings coincided with ongoing UK-US trade talks and centered around concerns over the UK's new Online Safety Act and its potential to restrict freedom of expression.
In addition to official meetings, the five-member US delegation reportedly held quiet sessions with British anti-abortion campaigners, some of whom had been arrested for protesting near abortion clinics. One such meeting took place in an unmarked office building, The Telegraph reported.
The report highlighted the case of Livia Tossici-Bolt, a 64-year-old activist prosecuted in 2023 for holding a sign reading "here to talk if you want" outside a clinic in Bournemouth. She was charged under a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), which bans protest within 150 meters of abortion facilities.
Another case referenced was that of Adam Smith-Connor, a 51-year-old military veteran convicted in 2024 for silently praying outside the same clinic. US Vice President J.D. Vance criticized the prosecution, calling it a troubling example of threats to religious liberty in Britain.
Critics have also accused UK authorities of "two-tier policing" — claiming that right-leaning protesters face harsher treatment than those on the political left. Elon Musk, a vocal Trump ally, has condemned what he sees as disproportionate crackdowns on anti-immigration demonstrators in the UK.
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