Two British anti-hate speech campaigners sanctioned by US state department – UK politics live

Clare Melford and Imran Ahmed Composite: Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures/Mark Thomas/AlamyClare Melford and Imran Ahmed Composite: Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures/Mark Thomas/AlamyShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureLive feedKey events26m agoUK party leaders deliver their Christmas message - with Zack Polanski using his to call for rethink on small boats policy1h agoWhy US state department says it is sanctioning Clare Melford1h agoWhy US state department says it is sanctioning Imran Ahmed2h agoTwo British anti-hate speech campaigners sanctioned by US state departmentShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureUK party leaders deliver their Christmas message - with Zack Polanski using his to call for rethink on small boats policyKeir Starmer has called on Britons to show kindness to struggling friends or family this Christmas, saying being in touch with those in need can make a big difference, Jessica Elgot reports.Here is Starmer’s video message.From my family to yours, I wish you a very happy Christmas.This is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Christmas story, and the Christian values that define it.Let’s look forward and celebrate the joy and hope that Christmas brings. pic.twitter.com/XpjZbBWDm2— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) December 24, 2025 In her message, Kemi Badenoch talks about her family, and how she has had a “wonderful year” as leader of the opposition.At Christmas we mark the birth of Christ. A wonderful story of hope, humility and peace at the most special time of year.Christmas is a time for making merry and seeing friends, but more than anything, it’s about family.That’s why, to those working tomorrow and spending time… pic.twitter.com/ssCAzmhrRs— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) December 24, 2025 Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, is a bit more political in his message, citing the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square, an annual gift to the UK from Norway for its support during the second world war, as a statement about friendship, and freedom.Every year, people mock this tree. But I love it anyway. It reminds us that if we stand together in tough times, we can overcome anything. Merry Christmas from my family to yours. 🎄✨ pic.twitter.com/e8qdRk7MtX— Ed Davey (@EdwardJDavey) December 24, 2025 These sanctions are visa-related. We aren’t invoking severe Magnitsky-style financial measures, but our message is clear: if you spend your career fomenting censorship of American speech, you’re unwelcome on American soil. She also took a swipe at the Liberal Democrats. None of those sanctioned is a current UK or EU official—however, we know that foreign government officials are actively targeting the United States. This week, the UK’s Liberal Democrats claimed President Trump’s National Security Strategy amounts to “foreign interference” by a “hostile foreign state” because it correctly identifies mass migration and decaying national sovereignty as existential European security concerns. In fact, Davey did not say the national security strategy amounts to foreign interference in British politics because it is critical of mass migration. He said that because the document explicitly says US policy for Europe should prioritise, among other things, “cultivating resistance to Europe’s current trajectory within European nations”.In a direct response to Rogers on X last night, Davey made this point himself. Donald Trump has made it his explicit policy to ‘cultivate resistance’ in the UK and elsewhere. So yes, I think that counts as foreign interference. I will be blogging until about 2pm. If there is time, I may even get round to covering something festive.