Frankly I had never heard of Livia Tossici-Bolt. Didn’t know she had held up a sign 50 metres from an abortion clinic in Bournemouth saying "here to talk if you want to", nor that she had been charged and nor that she will learn her fate in court on Friday.
But forget my ignorance, because much more importantly there are a number of very high-ups in Washington who have been following here fortunes and the manner in which she is being treated by the authorities over here. And they don’t like it. And won’t put up with it.
To the point the US State Department – equivalent to our Foreign Office – have issued a highly unusual statement saying they were "concerned about freedom of expression in the United Kingdom."
And the briefing coming out of Trump’s people was blunt. No free trade without free speech. We should be taking that stance seriously as it proves, if it needed proof, that Trump is prepared to flex his muscles in the social arena as well as the economic one.
In America the abortion issue is a far bigger political issue than it is in Britain and the rest of Western Europe. The Supreme Court has made abortion a state by state decision and 19 states have either banned them or limited the procedures.
I thank Donald Trump for his free speech ultimatum to Britain - Kelvin MacKenzie
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The Telegraph reports that a source familiar with trade negotiations between the UK and the US says free speech has become a point of contention between the two nations. Cleary free speech is in freefall over here with Hertfordshire police sending six uniformed officers to arrest a couple involved in a dispute with their local primary school. It doesn’t come worse than that.
Recently, an official from the US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour (part of the State Department) met Ms Tossici-Bolt, a retired medical scientist and the leader of the Bournemouth branch of an anti-abortion charity.
And this is what they said in a statement; "As Vice-President Vance has said we are concerned about freedom of expression in the United Kingdom. It is important that the UK respect and protect freedom of expression." Couldn’t be clearer than that.
Earlier this month Ms Tossici-Bolt, 64, was charged with infringing a pubic spaces protection order after holding her sign’’ here to talk’’ 50 metres from the abortion facility in Bournemouth.
A police officer approached her saying one person had felt harassed by the protest. She was repeatedly asked to leave the area but refused and was then charged with breaking a buffer zone which was put in place to protect abortion clinics from protest.
Ms Tossici-Bolt says of her actions; "I always made sure I did not come across as aggressive. I always try to do it in a loving way. I never tell people to terminate. If they decide to go ahead with the abortion then we can offer support afterwards."
Britain must get used to Donald Trump's way of negotiating.
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I am in favour of an individual’s right to abortion but I am also in favour of free speech. Holding up a sign 50 metres away doesn’t strike me as criminal. Be interested to know who made the complaint. Was it a member of the abortion clinic or was it somebody who was planning a procedure?
The verdict will be given by District Judge Orla Austin on Friday. You wouldn’t have to be a genius to forecast she will be found guilty, receive a suspended sentence and a bill running into thousands for costs.
However, with the Washington becoming involved on the side of the pro-lifers , who have been on a lonely road since the Abortion Act was passed in 1968, clearly there has been a power shift in the argument.
Supposing Trump offered Starmer a deal. Allow protest 100 metres from abortion clinics and we will allow the UK to be tariff free what would be his response.
Since Trump and Vance are going to be around for another four years No.10 will have to get used to this form of negotiation. And the UK will be better for it.
The one way "progressive" narrative pushed by left wing Labour MPs and liberal Tories has meant a good percentage of the voters have never seen their views either heard, acknowledged or supported.
Hopefully those days are gone. At least for the next four years.
