U.S.-U.K. trade relations were further strained Friday when a 64-year-old pro-life woman was convicted for peacefully protesting an abortion mill in Bournemouth, England, despite U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s recent rebuke of the U.K. for its criminalization of pro-life free speech.
Livia Tossici-Bolt, a pro-life activist was ordered to pay $26,028 (20,000 pounds). She had been hauled before the court for holding a sign that said: “Here to talk, if you want.”
In remarks to the Media Research Center following the verdict, a spokesperson for the State Department expressed concerns about Tossici-Bolt’s conviction:
“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.”
Vice President Vance, who the State Department has repeatedly cited, has been a persistent defender of pro-life free speech against draconian enforcement in the U.K., particularly in Scotland.
During his remarks at the 2025 Munich Security Conference, V.P. Vance called out the U.K. for restricting basic religious liberties, particularly when it comes to free speech:
“And perhaps most concerningly, I look to our very dear friends, the United Kingdom, where the backslide away from conscience rights has placed the basic liberties of religious Britons, in particular, in the crosshairs.”
Vance condemned Scotland for trying to put limits on people’s right to free speech within their own homes if they lived near an abortion mill. He also ripped into the U.K. for prosecuting a man for silent prayer.
And this man wasn’t the only one charged for exercising free speech, Vance explained:
“Now, I wish I could say that this was a fluke — a one-off, crazy example of a badly written law being enacted against a single person. But, no, this last October, just a few months ago, the Scottish government began distributing letters to citizens whose houses lay within so-called ‘safe access zones,’ warning them that even private prayer within their own homes may amount to breaking the law.”
“Naturally, the government urged readers to report any fellow citizens suspected guilty of thoughtcrime,” Vance said.
“In Britain, and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat,” the U.S. vice president warned.
Even when a pro-life advocate is cleared of wrongdoing, persecution of free speech remains a threat. For example, one U.K. woman who was previously arrested for silent prayer won in court, but continues to be harassed by police when she prays near abortion mills.
The U.K.’s decision to punish Tossici-Bolt for silently advocating for babies followed a State Department announcement that Sam Samson, the director of the State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, had spoken with Tossici-Bolt about her court battle.
“We are monitoring her case,” the State Department reported:
“U.S.-UK relations share a mutual respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. However, as Vice President Vance has said, we are concerned about freedom of expression in the United Kingdom.
“While recently in the UK, DRL Senior Advisor Sam Samson met with Livia Tossici-Bolt, who faces criminal charges for offering conversation within a legally prohibited ‘buffer zone’ at an abortion clinic. We are monitoring her case. It is important that the UK respect and protect freedom of expression.”
Reacting to Friday’s verdict, the State Department criticized Tossici-Bolt’s conviction and stressed the vital importance of free speech:
“We are disappointed with the UK court’s conviction of Livia Tossici-Bolt for violating a designated ‘buffer zone‘ at an abortion clinic. Freedom of expression must be protected for all.”
A report from The Telegraph suggested that violating the free speech rights of people like Tossici-Bolt may well have financial consequences for the U.K. The British newspaper quoted a “source familiar with trade negotiations” between the United States and the U.K. as saying that “there should be no free trade without free speech.’”
“PM’s hopes of avoiding Donald Trump’s tariffs may hinge on case of pro-life activist arrested for peaceful protest,” The Telegraph reported, noting the plight of U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer:
“Sir Keir Starmer’s attempts to strike a free trade deal with the US are at risk over a free speech row.”
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“Ms Tossici-Bolt said she was grateful to the US for ‘prioritising the preservation and promotion of freedom of expression and for engaging in robust diplomacy to that end.’”