The new Conservative Party-led government of Prime Minister David Cameron informed Michael Savage it will continue the ban on the top-rated talk-radio host’s entry to the United Kingdom unless he repudiates statements made on his broadcasts that were deemed a threat to public security, reported WorldNetDaily.
The U.K. Border Agency told Savage through a letter from the treasury solicitor’s office that his “exclusion” from the U.K. that began last year under the Labour Party government of Gordon Brown will continue “in the absence of clear, convincing and public evidence” that he has “repudiated his previous statements.”
As WND reported, then–British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced 5/5/09, that Savage was on a list of 16 people, along with terrorists and neo-Nazis, banned from entry because the government believed their views might provoke violence. Smith said it was “important that people understand the sorts of values and sorts of standards that we have here, the fact that it’s a privilege to come and the sort of things that mean you won’t be welcome in this country.”
“The ‘new’ British government continues ‘the big lie’ initiated by the previous British government, all based on extracts of radio programs over many years edited by Soros-backed Media Matters to slander me,” he told WND.
Savage said that after “over one straight year of legal hell, I had hoped the new British government would remove my name from their list of actual murderers and terrorists.”
“Apparently there’s been a change of window figures in England,” he said.
Savage said his next course of action will be to take his case before the European Court of Human Rights.
“The European Union seems to be very forgiving of those who have actually murdered people in terror acts,” Savage said. “Let’s see if they will defend my right to free speech.”
The U.K. ban-list includes Hamas terrorist leader Yunis Al-Astal, former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard Stephen Donald Black, neo-Nazi Erich Gliebe and radical American pastor Fred Phelps, known for his virulent anti-gay protests at funerals.
Savage has documented his battle over the U.K. ban in his book “Banned in Britain,” which includes official correspondence, released under the U.K.’s freedom of information law, that reveals a decision was made at the highest level of government to use his name to provide “balance” to a “least wanted” list dominated by Muslim extremists.
On his website, Savage appealed to his listeners to contribute to his legal fund, which he has used for various efforts, including a lawsuit against the Council on American-Islamic Relations for waging a boycott using excerpts of his copyrighted remarks. In the case of Savage’s U.K. ban, however, CAIR has sided with Savage, arguing “freedom of speech is a two-way street.”
“I want to thank the 85,000 people who have signed my petition and the thousands who have donated to the Savage Legal Fund,” Savage said.
