Victoria Derbyshire clashed with an official who used to work for Donald Trump last night over her bizarre allegations that the UK jails people who speak out.

A debate over free speech in the west began last week after US vice-president JD Vance alleged “in Britain, and across Europe, free speech I fear is in retreat”.

So the BBC Newsnight presenter asked a former ambassador to the US president, Carla Sands, how the White House can make such accusations while also “cuddling” up to authoritarian leader Vladimir Putin themselves.

Derbyshire pointed out that in Russia, speaking out against Putin can mean people get poisoned, imprisoned or even murdered.

But Sands, who was the US ambassador to Denmark during Trump’s first administration, spoke up before Derbyshire had finished her question.

She said: “I just have to interrupt you.

“There are more people in jail in the UK because they spoke what they thought was right, or they had interest online, than there are in all of Russia.”

Derbyshire looked shocked and replied: “Oh my goodness, I don’t know where you’ve got that from. I’ve got a guest here who is laughing his head off at that.”

Under Trump, the US appears to be trying to bolster relations with Russia while securing a peace in Ukraine.

American officials have excluded Kyiv from early negotiations and the US president has even falsely blamed Ukraine for the war.

This has added to fears that Trump’s administration will give in to any demands from Moscow to end the conflict, even though Russia is the aggressor.

Derbyshire also said to Sands: “It doesn’t appear so far that any pressure is being put on Russia by the US – certainly not publicly anyway.

“Only last week we heard the US defence secretary seeming to be giving Russia much of what they want. Why so amenable to a country that invaded its neighbour and killed tens of thousands of Ukrainians?”

Sands, now the vice president of America First Policy Institute, said tens of thousands are dying on both sides and the war just needs to end “full stop”.