Reform UK divided as senior figures say Tommy Robinson supporters ‘are our friends’

3 minutes, 33 seconds Read

[ad_1]

Your help helps us to inform the story

From reproductive rights to local weather change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the bottom when the story is growing. Whether it is investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our newest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light-weight on the American girls combating for reproductive rights, we all know how necessary it’s to parse out the info from the messaging.

At such a important second in US historical past, we’d like reporters on the bottom. Your donation permits us to maintain sending journalists to talk to each side of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans throughout your entire political spectrum. And in contrast to many different high quality information shops, we select to not lock Americans out of our reporting and evaluation with paywalls. We consider high quality journalism needs to be out there to everybody, paid for by those that can afford it.

Your help makes all of the distinction.

Senior figures in Reform UK have spoken out towards Nigel Farage and Richard Tice’s choice to distance themselves from Tommy Robinson and his supporters, with one saying he refused to throw the English Defence League founder “under a bus”.

Deputy chief Tice sparked a row within the get together after saying it needs “nothing to do with” Robinson, who was jailed this week, and ”all of that lot”, whereas Farage has beforehand accused Robinson and his supporters of “stirring up hatred”.

But Ben Habib, the get together’s current former deputy chief and common election candidate in Wellingborough, stood up for individuals who attended a rally in help of Robinson on Saturday.

Speaking to YouTuber Paul Thorpe, Mr Habib stated: “Those of us who care about this country, who want to stand against the uniparty of the Tories and Labour, have to stick together. We are one group.

Tommy Robinson has been jailed for 18 months
Tommy Robinson has been jailed for 18 months ( )

“I don’t know Tommy Robinson, I’m not going to venture an opinion on Tommy Robinson. But certainly, I’m not going to throw him under a bus. What I do know is the thousands, tens of thousands of people who congregated in Whitehall on Saturday, I know many people who told me they were there. They are our friends, they are Reform voters and we need to stand firmly behind them.”

Mr Habib then informed the Guardian Mr Farage “carries an interesting balancing act” as somebody who appeared a “firebrand rightwinger” however who additionally needed to “curry favour with the mainstream media”.

Meanwhile Howard Cox, Reform’s London mayoral candidate and common election candidate for Dover and Deal, stated Mr Tice was unsuitable to distance the get together from Robinson’s supporters.

Nigel Farage and Richard Tice have distanced themselves from Robinson
Nigel Farage and Richard Tice have distanced themselves from Robinson (Lucy North/PA Wire)

Speaking to broadcaster Dan Wootton, Mr Cox stated Robinson shouldn’t be in jail, including: “This week, unfortunately, Richard … said I want nothing to do with Tommy Robinson or his lot. It’s a bit sad because I’m a good friend of Richard and we are close but that was wrong … I am one of that lot. Nigel actually did contact me privately and he just simply said Richard went over the top,” Cox informed Wootton.

He added: “I love him to death, but I think Richard has got to come out and clarify what he really meant. He was actually saying he was against thuggery and violence. Most of the people there, 99 per cent of the people at all of these things, are just concerned about getting our country back.”

On Saturday, 1000’s of Robinson’s supporters gathered in central London for a protest which the political activist missed after he was remanded. He has since been jailed for 18 months for contempt of courtroom after he admitted breaching an injunction stopping him from repeating libellous allegations towards a Syrian refugee.

The 41-year-old, whose actual title is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was accused of “thumbing his nose at the court” in entrance of hundreds of thousands of individuals by breaching the 2021 High Court order on a number of events, together with airing a documentary at a rally in Trafalgar Square in July.

Reform UK was requested to remark.

[ad_2]

Source hyperlink

Similar Posts