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 due to a single tweet posted following the Southport stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Merseyside, England, where three young girls were murdered. Her tweet called for setting fire to hotels housing migrants, which led to her incarceration. Connolly's sentence is believed to be one of the longest in the UK for a single social media post. Following her release, she gave her first interview, describing herself as a political prisoner of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and expressing concerns about diminishing free speech in the UK. The interview was conducted by Allison Pearson of The Telegraph, who had led the campaign for Connolly's release. Connolly also voiced plans to reform the justice system and criticized what she termed a "two-tier" approach under Starmer's leadership. Meanwhile, Labour Councillor Ricky Jones, who made similar statements, was declared not guilty and did not serve time. The case has sparked debate about policing online speech versus street crime in Britain.