Lucy Connolly, who was jailed earlier this year for a single social media post that prosecutors said stirred up racial hatred, was greeted with a hug from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and loud cheers as she appeared on the main stage of the party's conference on Saturday.
Speaking at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, Connolly said she had told police that "unchecked immigration is a danger to my child and everyone else's child" when questioned in the aftermath of the Southport murders. She told the audience she has aspirations to work with Reform in the future.
Connolly, a former childminder and the wife of a Conservative councillor, was released from prison last month after serving part of a 31-month custodial sentence. The sentence followed a single tweet in which she called for "mass deportation now" and urged people to "set fire" to migrant hotels in the days after the Southport murders, according to court records and media reports. Prosecutors said the post amounted to stirring up racial hatred.
Her sentence, which observers have described as unusually long for a single social media post, prompted criticism from some commentators who argued it was evidence of inconsistent policing and prosecution of online speech. Connolly and supporters have said the case raises issues about free expression and the criminal threshold for social media offences.
At the conference, Farage embraced Connolly as she walked onto the stage and conducted an on-stage interview as delegates cheered. Organisers held the three-day event at the NEC, where speakers and attendees addressed topics including immigration, crime and national security — core themes for Reform UK.
When asked about a police statement that was passed to the Crown Prosecution Service, Connolly reiterated that her concern about immigration stemmed from worries for children's safety. She did not elaborate on whether she intended to contest the legal findings in future proceedings; court decisions in the case were previously reported in media accounts.
The appearance underscores the political resonance of high-profile prosecutions for online conduct and their intersection with wider public debates over immigration policy. Legal experts and human-rights advocates have increasingly scrutinised how domestic laws designed to prevent hate speech are applied to social media posts, while political parties have seized on individual cases to advance policy positions.
Reform UK has increasingly featured figures who have attracted public attention for their social media activity, and Connolly's presence at the conference reflects the party's emphasis on immigration and criminal-justice issues. Neither the Crown Prosecution Service nor police representatives made immediate comment at the event. Farage did not give a detailed statement on the legal aspects of Connolly's case during the conference session.
Connolly's appearance followed her release last month; court records show she was convicted and sentenced earlier in the year. The case remains emblematic of ongoing tensions in Britain between enforcement of hate-speech laws, the regulation of online platforms, and political debate over immigration.
Further developments may depend on any additional legal action, public statements by authorities, or decisions by political organisations about formal roles for Connolly within party structures.