Patriotic Britons ‘labelled a risk to children because of their political views’

Iraq War veteran Jamie Michael was banned from working with children after a social media video in which he likened some migrants to “scumbags” after the Southport murders.

Mr Michael, 47, from Penygraig in South Wales, was barred from coaching his own daughter’s football team, The Telegraph revealed on Sunday.

That came after he was charged with inciting racial hatred for his video – before being cleared by a jury after just 17 mnutes.

Despite his acquittal, the veteran was pulled aside by his local safeguarding board, which ruled he is not “suitable” to work with kids.

Mr Michael, a father-of-two, was told that a “child protection concern” made against him had been “substantiated”.

The Football Association of Wales then stopped him coaching after a meeting with a council safeguarding officer and South Wales Police.

Mr Michael, who is suing the authorities for £25,000 for breaching his human rights, warned: “It makes no sense. It just seems to me they want to punish me because of my opinions and because my views don’t align with theirs.”

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He added: “It’s a horrible feeling to have to tell people I am banned from coaching a girls’ football team. What comes to people’s mind is I must be a pervert or I’ve done something violent to children.”

Earlier this year, Mr Michael had told GB News of how multiple police officers had tracked him down to his workplace for his social media post.

“They came to see me at work,” he said. “I came out to meet them and I put my camera on to film them for my own protection and I asked them what it was for, they said it was ‘nothing bad’, then told me I was under arrest.”

Now, the Free Speech Union has taken on the embattled father’s case – with founder Lord Young speaking out on behalf of “silenced” patriotic Britons.

“Citing safeguarding concerns to silence people you disagree with is a scandalous abuse of the system,” the Tory peer said.

“Those protocols have been put in place to protect children from abusive parents and sexual predators, not people with patriotic views.

“Jamie’s case is particularly egregious but it’s by no means isolated.

“At the Free Speech Union, we’ve come across this again and again. We have 15 people on our books who’ve been branded a risk to children because of their political views.”

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In his video, Mr Michael urged Britons to “get ready”.

However, he then said: “It doesn’t mean getting bats and knives and stuff… I’m talking about doing things the right way: getting in big groups, having meetings, going to the council, police, the politicians, the councillors.”

In September 2024, a month after his arrest, concerns against Mr Michael were raised with the safeguarding board.

A letter claimed it was a “disgrace” that he was coaching and its author alleged they were “worried for my child’s safety”.

The safeguarding board then met – and was told how the veteran was “great with children” and had never received a single complaint, according to his High Court claim.

South Wales Police, however, claimed he had posted a video “inciting racial hatred” – and he was suspended from coaching a week later.

Then, after his 17-minute acquittal, the board met again.

Mr Michael’s lawyers claim that there was “no further discussion… of the trial or the evidence heard, nor consideration of any further evidence or the fact of his acquittal”.

They add that the video was “not discussed” – and the father-of-two himself claims it has never been seen by the panel that banned him.

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He said: “I think Keir Starmer wanted to send a message to anyone who he deemed far-right. He wanted to stamp out any dissenting views and I got caught up in that.

But he also revealed he was confident he could overturn his ban, saying: “I haven’t done anything wrong. I was just trying to help children. But all they have done is stop me working with them.”

The Cwm Taf Morgannwg safeguarding board has said it will not comment while litigation was ongoing.

A spokesman said: “The safeguarding board and its multi-agency partners take its responsibilities very seriously. It would be inappropriate for the board or its partners to comment any further at this time.”

GB News has approached the Football Association of Wales for comment.