TOMMY Robinson’s, (real name Stephen Yaxley Lennon) return to X (formally known as Twitter), has set social media alight, he has been trending every day in the last two weeks.
Although to many a controversial figure, found guilty of criminal offences, Robinson remains, as described negatively by GB News’ Camilla Tominey, as a “folklore character,” especially to underrepresented working class people.
It seems critical thinking on Robinson is frowned upon too. Josie Gibson, currently competing in ‘I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here,’ has been smeared as a racist for having some empathy for him. She had seen Robinson’s address at the Oxford Union from 2014 where he describes his life, the difficulties he faces and the challenges that Britain has with Islam.
The victim of X archaeology, Ms Gibson on November 14th, 2015, a day after the Paris atrocities, which saw 132 dead at the hands of Islamic extremists, saw her post “Before you’re quick to shout “racist” watch this video”. The usual knee-jerk suspects have denounced her and Robinson as satanist xenophobes.
I have never met Robinson, but I did ask him over a DM what reaction he got from Oxford University students. He said that they were cold, kept their distance & felt uncomfortable. At the end he was warmly applauded and a queue for selfies ensued.
So, do the charges of racism hold water?
Certainly, Robinson does not have a way words. Often descending into four letter words, he may need to purchase a Thesaurus.
Certainly, he is critical of militant Islam in robust terms.
I have full permissions from these people. You may have seen Robinson visiting Israel in 2016, where he concluded that Hamas and Hezbollah are the equivalent of ISIS and Daesh. What you may not be aware is that one of the people who accompanied him, was Israeli government endorsed Kenneth Sikorski, who said to me in an DM: “One thing that he’s never mentioned about his time in Israel, he brought a couple of his mates along, if I remember correctly, they’re from his school years, lifetime friends. One of them was black. He’s never used that in public to stave off charges of racism. I believe that is a good sign of character.”
Mikey007 is Jewish, as are his parents, and added most of his followers are Jewish. He produced a poll, although difficult to describe as scientific, found 84.2% “support Tommy Robinson.”
After the Campaign Against anti-Semitism successfully got Robinson removed from last Sunday’s rally, its principles Steven Silverman and Gideon Falter have come in for much criticism. Countering the critique, the Jewish Chronicle allowed Falter to make a video where he said “no one wants to go for a march with Tommy Robinson”. The comments, many from Jews, suggested otherwise and got so bad the comments were turned off.
In 2010 at an EDL rally Robinson addressing the crowd said, “I believe in a non-racist Britishness, no matter what colour of your skin, we’d rather stand with one proud black patriot, than 100 scumbag racists”. There were loud cheers.
He said of Rotherham, “Fear paralysed Rotherham’s police force, the media and the politicians. The police facilitated the rape of children for 20 years because they were afraid of being called racist”. It is entirely backed up by Professor Alexis Jay’s report. who confirmed, “there was a widespread perception that messages conveyed by some senior people in the Council and also the Police, were to ‘downplay’ the ethnic dimensions of child sexual exploitation (CSE).
Unsurprisingly, frontline staff appeared to be confused as to what they were supposed to say and do and what would be interpreted as ‘racist’. From a political perspective, the approach of avoiding public discussion of the issues was ill judged”. Did the Professor Alexis not same the exact same thing?
As journalist Douglas Murray penned in 2016, “Tommy Robinson Drew Attention to ‘Grooming Gangs,’ Britain Has Persecuted Him.” He wrote, “The authorities..did everything they could, and the media did everything possible to demonize them (EDL and Robinson).” Times do not change as he was covering last Sunday’s pro-Israel march for Urban Scoop & faces 3 months in jail for a breach of Section 35 of the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing act, 2014.
Murray adds, “Indeed he was once charged with assault for head-butting a NAZI sympathizer who wouldn’t leave an EDL protest.”
In 2012, The Daily Mail and The Daily Mirror were both fined £10,000 for Contempt of Court, after Levi Bellfield trial for the murder of Rachel Cowles, 11, collapsed. Bellfield, convicted of the murder of Milly Dowler, they published information on Milly Dowler, while Rachel Cowles’ trial was on going. The judge viewed it was prejudicial to Bellfield’s trial, and the case dismissed.
Robinson went to Leeds Crown Court to report on the verdicts of a number of Pakistani-heritage men for child rape. Note he was jailed for 13 months, not fined £10,000. On appeal the judges said his reporting did not prejudice the trial and was released after two months.
If Robinson were racist and had uttered racist remarks, the state would have pounced and locked him away for as long as possible. We can only conclude there is no evidence, and accusations are misleading.
It is the sign that the government has no appetite to deal with radical Islam. They know if they start arresting and jailing extremist imams and clerics, it will lead to civil unrest. It may provoke even more violent acts. Look at the way the Metropolitan Police have singularly failed to deal with pro-Palestinian protests and vile calls for the death of all Israelis. Previously it took decades for the authorities to deal with rape gangs. It was only Robinson who brought it into a wider public domain. I must remind you Nazir Afzal, a practising Muslim of Pakistani heritage, as the North-West of England Crown Prosecution Service, opened the flood gates to mass prosecution of rapists.
It is easier to deal with the reaction which wants to live under the rule of law. The demeaning of a relative powerless and passive group, the working-class, and painting and marginalising them as racists, bigots, xenophobes and gammons, is far easier.
Robinson should, in my opinion, behave sometimes in a more civilised way. His language & tone needs polish. Nevertheless, objectively there are few people who represent the working-classes. It may need complimentary representation.
Nelson Mandela, a great man, was not jailed for 27 years for opposing Apartheid, but for planting bombs in department stores, aimed to kill innocent people. The ANC was once a proscribed organisation like Hamas. Sinn Fein/IRA, the latter, IRA, whose members killed people throughout the Troubles were all rehabilitated by history. Robinson’s crimes are not as bad as theirs, maybe we need to reflect more deeply how we think of Robinson. A flawed character, in need of more understanding.
