Lucy Connolly, a British mother and former childminder, was released from HMP Peterborough prison on August 21, 2025, after serving nine months of a 31-month sentence. She was convicted for inciting racial hatred following a tweet posted in the aftermath of the Southport stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Merseyside, England. The tweet, which called for setting fire to hotels housing migrants, was widely condemned and led to her incarceration. Connolly's sentence is believed to be one of the longest for a single social media post in the UK. Upon release, Connolly gave her first interview, describing herself as a "political prisoner" of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and criticizing the UK’s diminishing free speech environment. She expressed determination to fight back and reform the justice system. The case has sparked debate about free speech and the UK’s approach to policing social media posts, with some commentators calling for a focus on street policing rather than online speech. The Labour Councillor Ricky Jones, who made similar statements, was acquitted and did not serve jail time. The story has drawn attention from various media outlets, including The Telegraph, which led a campaign for her release, and has fueled political discourse around Starmer’s government and its handling of justice and immigration issues.