The British government has revoked the travel authorisation of Eva Vlaardingerbroek, a Dutch conservative political commentator, prompting fresh accusations that the UK is cracking down on free speech and dissenting voices.
Vlaardingerbroek revealed on X on Wednesday, January 14th, that her electronic travel authorisation (ETA) had been withdrawn, preventing her from travelling to the UK without a visa.
Sharing an official notification from the British authorities, she wrote: “Holy sh*t. I’ve been banned from traveling to the UK. They revoked my ETA.” The notice stated: “Your presence in the UK is not considered to be conducive to the public good.”
According to the document, the decision took effect on January 13th and cannot be appealed.
Vlaardingerbroek drew a direct link between the decision and her recent criticism of Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “Three days after posting this about Starmer,” she added, referring to a tweet published on January 9th in which she accused the Labour leader of hypocrisy over online regulation.
In that post, she wrote: “Keir Starmer wants to crack down on X under the pretense of ‘women’s safety,’ whilst he’s the one allowing the ongoing rape and killing of British girls by migrant rape gangs. Evil, despicable man.”
The move seems to be yet more evidence of an increasingly hostile environment for free speech.
British political commentator Matt Goodwin reacted on X by writing:
Wow. The UK will not ban Muslim Brotherhood, will not ban Iranian Revolutionary Guard, will not stop Egyptian bomb-makers, ISIS sympathisers, and Iranian terrorists crossing in the small boats … but will ban conservative influencers!
Vlaardingerbroek, who is known for opposing illegal immigration and supporting European farmers affected by green policies, is the latest high-profile figure to be punished for expressing her views.
Last September, Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan was detained at Heathrow airport over gender-critical posts. Linehan said he had been “treated like a terrorist for speaking [his] mind on social media” and described Britain as a “dystopian clown show.”
The case sparked widespread condemnation, with figures including J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk accusing Britain of becoming a “police state”, while Reform UK leader Nigel Farage warned of “a war on freedom in the UK.”
The controversy comes amid wider concerns about Labour’s plans to tighten control over online platforms, including threats to ban X and demands for access to encrypted messages.
