Starmer told UK must repeal hate speech laws to protect LGBT+ people or lose Trump trade deal

[highplainsdem]

Source: Independent

Sir Keir Starmer must embrace Donald Trump’s agenda by repealing hate speech laws in order to get a trade deal over the line, sources close to JD Vance have told The Independent.

The warning came after the US vice-president suggested a UK-US agreement may be close, with the White House “working very hard” on it.

He told UnHerd: “I think there’s a good chance that, yes, we’ll come to a great agreement that’s in the best interest of both countries.”

But allies of Mr Vance say he is “obsessed by the fall of Western civilisation” – including his view that free speech is being eroded in Britain – and that he will demand the Labour government rolls back laws against hateful comments, including abuse targeting LGBT+ groups or other minorities, as a condition of any deal.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/trump-jd-vance-trade-deal-free-speech-b2733806.html

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UnHerd, in case you haven't heard of the media outlet Vance chose to speak to, is a RW British news site owned by a hedge fund manager who also owns The Spectator and co-owns RW televisision channel GB News.


Editing to add Timothy Snyder's comment on this news story on Bluesky:

By "free speech," the Americans mean creating a media environment in your country dominated by American digital fascism preparatory to right-wing regime change. Vance essentially said as much in Munich. Give in now, forget about sovereignty later.
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

— Timothy Snyder (@timothysnyder.bsky.social) 2025-04-16T16:01:11.833Z

Timothy Snyder
‪@timothysnyder.bsky.social‬

By "free speech," the Americans mean creating a media environment in your country dominated by American digital fascism preparatory to right-wing regime change. Vance essentially said as much in Munich. Give in now, forget about sovereignty later.

[Ocelot II]

1. WTF??

[Nigrum Cattus]

2. non stright people are just their first target -

Everyone that doesn't agree with them is next
NEVER GIVE IN

[malthaussen]

3. The racism and bigotry are strong in this administration.

Even in the past when the Southern Democratic KKK-wannabes ruled Congress, the US wouldn't have presumed to tell another country what to do in this fashion. This actually is something new under the sun!

-- Mal

[slightlv]

4. Trump hasn't yet gotten

The message that other sovereign countries don't want or recognize any authority he might fantasize having over them. The best thing to do is to emulate China, even tho that hurts we, the people who didn't vote for him. This mutant of a human wants to out-hitler Hitler. In his grandiose delusions he seems himself as god-king of the entire world. America's richest aren't enough. He must have all rulers bend and kiss his ass while he rapes their countries for his own pocket. It's like he fancies himself Alexander the Great... without needing to do it militarily... only breaking the bonds of civilization. It's not the 1950s he wants to take us back to... its the prehistoric stone age he desires... where only might makes right.

[Mike 03]

11. Is it so mind blowing...

This was the political party that didn't even want our own federal government to tell states within our country what to do. Now we are ordering other sovereign nations to terminate socially-conscious legislation that doesn't even bear in the slightest on what happens in the U.S.

[Delphinus]

5. I sure hope

Sir Keir Starmer tells them, politely of course, where they shove it. Walk away Starmer, do not bend the knee. Do not comply.

[angrychair]

18. Unfortunately

I haven't heard good things about this guy. I mean the UK supreme court just ruled that trans people have no rights. Seriously doubt that was a coincidence.

[C_U_L8R]

6. This deserves a nationwide expression of free speech

And tell Donald Trump to royally fuck off.

[liberalgunwilltravel]

7. JD Advanced Couch Fucker

Can go "couch" himself.

[mwooldri]

8. The US administration won't get this.

Starmer can just throw the question to Parliament. That's the best that Shady Vance could ever hope for. Now the likes of Farage and his ilk would vote for it (hate speech law repeal) but Badenoch might even think it a bridge too far. I'm sure most rank and file Labour MPs would think this idea is bonkers.

[dflprincess]

9. How ironic

Three days away from the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution and now it's the British who need to stand up against American tyranny.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

13. Bingo. The Madness of wannabeking tRump 0. . . . . nt

[gohuskies]

10. More naked extortion by tRump and his magats

This is truly sickening stuff. Acting like a mafioso crime boss and carrying affairs of international importance. And it looks like he will not stop until something earth shattering occurs.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

12. Not the first sign that Starmer is caving. I'm sorry I can't remember what I saw a few days ago. . . . . nt

[MLWR]

14. Any deal of any kind made with Krasnov

is not worth the paper it's written on.

[delisen]

15. Know the Enemy. It is a coalition.

Neo-Nazis, rogue Tech Bros and their lapdogs, rogue CEOs, Media Titans and manipulators, religious ideologues and opportunists, faux political think tank members, members of at least one legal fraternity, white supremacists, social elitists, eugenicists, and more.

For many the groups overlap. Individuals often identify with more than one of these group. Venn diagrams would help.

While Trump may act instinctively and often in ignorance, there are some members of the coalition who are planners and seek to subjugate just America, and some who also seek world domination.

I believe we need to know the names and follow the machinations of these bad actors, to many are still shrouded in the fog.

[ananda]

16. I hope I'm right in thinking that Starmer is smart enough...

and strong enough to say no to this kind of extortion.

[patphil]

17. This is just a test case to see how the UK handles it.

I seriously doubt the UK will change their laws.
There's a better chance that there won't be a trade deal, especially since the US already has a large surplus in their trade with the UK.

[Solly Mack]

19. Tell the Trump Regime to go fuck itself.

Any country seriously considering allowing the Trump Regime to determine their laws is a country that doesn't deserve to survive.

And I do mean any country.

[Karasu]

20. We're using people's CIVIL RIGHTS as a fucking bargaining chip now? For a fucking TRADE AGREEMENT, no less?

A trade agreement? Like these two things are even remotely comparable in terms of importance?!

And to top it off, these are the rights of people in the UK. A foreign country. If they're this determined to eliminate the rights of LGBT people in another country for the sake of a fucking trade deal, one can only imagine what they want to do to LGBT people here.

I don't think I can justify living here anymore. To say this country is a failure would now be a massive understatement.

[tanyev]

21. *sigh* Errbody's gonna be boycotting us.

And I don’t blame them, but jeez, it didn’t have to be this way. This is a mess deliberately created by Trump and his enablers.