Connolly, a former childminder and wife of a Conservative councillor, was a special guest at Reform UK’s annual conference in Birmingham on Saturday, where she was described as a “political prisoner.”
She was sentenced to 31 months in prison after pleading guilty to sending a social media post following the Southport murders last year, during a period when riots broke out outside asylum seeker hotels. She served around 40 per cent of her sentence before being released.
Calls for Prison Reform
Speaking on the main stage, Mrs Connolly said she wanted to use her experience to push for change within the prison system.
“I’d really love to use my experience to work with Reform in the future and overhaul the prison system, especially the women’s estate,” she said.
“It doesn’t work. It’s a waste of our money. We could let 80 per cent of the female prison population out and none of us would be in any danger. They need housing, they need mental health support, they need rehab, and they just need people to care.”
The Social Media Post That Led to Her Arrest
Connolly’s conviction stemmed from a tweet she posted after the Southport dance class murders, which wrongly claimed that Axel Rudakubana, who killed three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed class, was an illegal immigrant.
In the now-deleted tweet, she called for “mass deportation now” and wrote:
“Set fire to all the hotels full of the b*****s for all I care… if that makes me racist so be it.”
The post was removed three hours later but had already been viewed more than 310,000 times.
Standing Ovation and Free Speech Debate
Mrs Connolly was welcomed onto the conference stage with loud applause and a standing ovation from many attendees. Her interview was conducted by journalist Allison Pearson, who referred to her as a “political prisoner” during their discussion.
Connolly admitted she had been “an idiot” for sending the tweet but argued that her prosecution raised concerns over freedom of expression in the UK.
“I don’t want to live in a country where they are arresting people for posts online and hurtful words,” she said.
Legal Challenge Rejected
In May 2025, a legal challenge against the length of Connolly’s sentence was dismissed by Lord Justice Holroyde, who ruled there was “no arguable basis” to suggest her sentence was “manifestly excessive.”
Reform UK Welcomes Connolly’s Support
Reform UK’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, praised Connolly’s comments during his speech following her live interview.
“It’s wonderful to see her back with us and to hear her telling her story directly,” he said.
“I think she has a huge opportunity to help Reform and support the cause of free speech.”
