Overview

• Confronted at the National Conservatism conference in Washington, Douglas Carswell declined to explain or apologise for posting “From Epping to the sea, let’s make England Abdul free” on X.
• Carswell told a reporter he would not be “accountable to newspapers” and referenced the First Amendment, reiterating earlier claims that UK courts have no jurisdiction over him.
• The August 31 post followed reports about a High Court ruling allowing asylum seekers to remain in an Epping hotel, and it drew condemnation from figures including LBC’s Iain Dale and Independent MP Adnan Hussain.
• Solicitor Nazir Afzal suggested the language could engage offences under the Public Order Act 1986, while Free Speech Union director Toby Young argued Muslims are not a racial group under that law.
• Coverage has linked the episode to Carswell’s recent advocacy of restrictive immigration measures, including a Telegraph column proposing paid ‘remigration’ and online statements supporting mass deportations.