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Tommy Robinson paints with a toxic brush. (Peter Summers/Getty Images)
Tommy Robinson is a paradox: he is a brave and enormously successful activist-journalist with a mean right hook. At the same time, he’s prone to sentimentality, sensitive to criticism and sees himself as a victim, tethering his own private troubles — mortgage fraud, travelling to the US on a false passport and an upcoming contempt of court case to name just a few — to the political grievances of the white working class he claims to represent. His greatest contradiction, though, is that while he’s a trenchant critic of identity politics, mercilessly mocking the whiny victimhood of Black Lives Matter, the transgender movement and shady Islamists, he’s also an unmistakable product of that politics, weaponising the language of tribal resentment and self-pity for his own personal and political purposes.
Every multicultural society, it turns out, has the Tommy Robinsons it deserves. Which is to say that if you fetishise identity and create a hierarchy of identities, whereby some are protected and defended while others are stigmatised and attacked, you’ll end up with a less than harmonious society. It also turns out that if you reward “marginalised” non-white identities, many whites will bristle against this and start reasserting their own white identity — or search out those who will do it for them.
It is from this toxic context — the “Lebanonisation” of the UK, as Sam Bidwell strikingly describes it — that Robinson has emerged, becoming the first white “community leader” here. But unlike his counterparts in the “Muslim community”, no British politician or senior police officer would be seen dead breaking fried bread with Robinson. If Robinson has a victim-complex, it is in part because he is one and because he seems to go out of his way to be one. Indeed, it’s almost as if he enjoys being a victim and the sense of righteousness and authenticity this gives him.
Robinson’s arrest on Friday at Folkestone police station, where he was charged under the schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act for refusing to hand over the pin to his mobile phone, and his return to custody immediately after, will further solidify his victim narrative. This will surely be compounded by his appearance today and tomorrow at Woolwich crown court on separate charges relating to repeating libellous statements he made about a Syrian refugee back in 2018.
Though he wasn’t there for it, Robinson’s “Unite the Kingdom” rally still went ahead, with podcaster Liam Tuffs hosting in his place. I watched a livestream showing the main speakers and I sat through the whole of Robinson’s new documentary, which was shown in its 124-minute entirety. It is titled “Lawfare: Lust, Fear and Loathing — and the UK riots”, which is a bit of a mouthful, lacking the punch and clarity of, say, “The Rape of Britain”, Robinson’s 2022 documentary about Asian grooming gangs. Robinson must have intuited this, because he spends the first 15 minutes performing the yeoman’s work of explaining its subtitle. In short: lust refers to the greed of the elites and their desire for power, fear is about the elites’ capitulation to Islam, and loathing denotes their contempt for ordinary people and Britain.
The documentary begins with an encomium to Peter Lynch, who last week committed suicide in prison. Lynch, 61, was serving two years and eight months after he pleaded guilty to being part of a violent mob outside a migrant hotel in Rotherham during the peak of this summer’s anti-immigration riots; he had shouted “scum” and “child killers” at police. The judge who sentenced Lynch called him a “disgraceful example of a grandfather”, but for Robinson he is a martyr-like figure whose sacrifice exposes the cruel face of a two-tier system of criminal system in the UK.
Interesting article.
Are we witnessing, what Professor Eric Kaufmann has described as, “…asymmetric multi-culturalism”, whereby one culture, that of the dominant group is deliberately down-played, even deliberately, degraded and openly despised, in order to accommodate minority-culture sensitivities?
Congratulations on having the guts to not completely misrepresent or dismiss him. What has been done to him is an epic and disgusting example of the British deep state.
“At the same time, he’s prone to sentimentality, sensitive to criticism and sees himself as a victim”
Considering that he is presently the UK’s most prominent political prisoner, he bloody well is one.
The last time TR was in prison, he ate none of the prison food because he feared being poisoned. The threat of violence and murder by Islamists in prison is the Establishment’s ultimate weapon to silence the opponents of Islamism.
There is a fundamental fact that gets forgotten in immigration debate. We are supposedly living in a democracy the last timeI looked. Did anyone ask the people of the UK if they wanted mass migration into the country? I do not recall having been consulted. This crisis was entirely created by politicians. It is little wonder that the nation has lost faith politics, especially with 30% Starmer in command. Our democracy is collapsing.
I completely subscribed to the mainstream narrative on Tommy Robinson until I saw the interview with him and Tammy and Jordan Peterson. His principal crime, I now begin to suspect, is that he is not one of the educated elite and so he expresses himself in ways that are unacceptable to that grouping.
SYL may be many things but on anti-radical Islam he’s more than credible. His examples of such are more than bolstered by many sources that most media never mention ; see anything by David Collier esp on GPU at the Excel centre , the speakers there and their views , the other organisations of Jewish hatred. Were the BBC to simply publish the Hamas mission statement it would be enough but as the Asserson report has found, they are wholly biased toward Palestin*. Two tier law, no doubt about this and that he is prepared to say it, he will become a martyr ; Quds marchers ? Nothing. This will not go away with or without SYL.
What the writer does not seem to understand is that “Tommy Robinson’s grievances” are not just his, they are shared grievances, but, a bit like Jack Cade and Robert Kett perhaps, his courage and willingness to speak out have made him a “representative” for a considerable number of fed up British people. There seems to be an implied doubt in the article as to this reality.
The riots this summer were in response to a violent attack on little children, whether any or all of those rioters were racists is pretty much beside the point, racism seems to be endemic in the UK today; the anti-white racism of BLM and CRT, the antisemitism of Hamas followers, anti-muslim, it’s everywhere
The government needs to face up to the fact that as a society we have failed and are failing to keep the peace. There needs to be a different approach.
“The draconian severity with which the authorities put down this summer’s riots is synonymous in his mind with what he sees as his own tyrannical persecution by the British state.”
Well they are trying to silence him as the preeminent voice of the dispossessed White working class.
I will say that the author tries very, very hard to be balanced in his statements but to me it doesn’t quite work.
Yes, the summer riots were about young people who wanted to smash things. Yes, words from Robinson might have fanned the flames. Yes, Mr Robinson should be prosecuted for some of his wrongdoings. But there are a lot of other happenings which need to be explained as well.
Arguably, Just Stop Oil caused far more damage to our lives. Arguably, their members will come out of gaol as heroes in the cause. How many people were injured in the summer riots? How many people died or were injured by the antics of JSO?
Taking into account the actions of the police in the pro-Palestine marches (they clearly supported the politics of the marchers) it does seem that the police forces have their own political agendas. Perhaps they are no longer there to serve the people but, instead, to impose their own politics on the people, irrespective of which government is in power.
The summer riots were in response to the stabbing of eleven young girls, three of whom died – as mentined by a previous poster – assuming you mean the white, working class riots and not that in Harehills.
“if you fetishise identity and create a hierarchy of identities whereby some are protected and defended while others are stigmatised and attacked, you’ll end up with a less than harmonious society.”
In other words, a two-tiered system is wrong on its face. Discriminatory treatment does not become okay based on who is privileged or punished; it’s wrong period.
Indeed, it’s almost as if he enjoys being a victim and the sense of righteousness and authenticity this gives him. ——> That’s how the game works – victimhood has been valorized and turned into a kind of special status. Robinson is playing by the rules others created.
I can’t disagree. Compared to some of the Irish Republican terrorists, thugs and murderers who ended up in government, lauded as peace-makers by progressives, Robinson’s an angel.
Progressives created Robinson. My main concern is Robinson v 2.0, the Gen Z who’ll surely replace him, will be worse.
I recently posted to the effect that this is a very balanced article. The post hasn’t appeared. I wouldn’t have thought my statement was controversial.
I’m starting to treat it like a fun game. My posts are like magic at the moment. You never know how long they will appear for before they disappear again.
Safety certificate: this post has been moderated for you safety.
But without Free Speech how will we be able to discuss that idea?
A very balanced article.
It’s quite interesting how both the left and the right view immigrant senses one monolithic group. On the right as you portrayed all criminals. On the left, they refused to distinguish between skilled immigration(muchly desired) and open borders, mass migration of illiterate young men
‘The documentary begins with an encomium to Peter Lynch, who last week committed suicide in prison. Lynch, 61, was serving two years and eight months’
Two years and eight months for:
he had shouted “scum” and “child killers” at police.
Disgusting state over reach. How was that sentence justice. I’ve heard of convicted paedophiles with shorter sentences. Eight month suspended sentences for paedophiles.
You dare go out and protest against the sham we call government and you get over two years in jail.
I hope Mike Amesbury gets a much longer sentence than Peter Lynch was given in that case. Shouting threats and punching his own constituents. Goes to show how much regard members of the labour party have for their voters. That deserves a much harsher sentence than they gave the man that simply ‘shouted at the police’.
Lock him up.
MP Mike Amesbury has been suspended from the Labour Party after CCTV footage emerged appearing to show him punching a man to the ground.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6244gk9d4po
‘charged under the schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act:
Why are we charging British citizens under the terrorist act.
Charge Mike Amesbury for intimidating and terrorising his own voters under the terrorism act.
FREE TOMMY ROBINSON. JUSTICE FOR PETER LYNCH.
Trigger warning: this post has been moderated.
Robinson’s tactics are wrong. It doesn’t matter how big the demonstrations get they will be ignored so long as the media is entirely controlled by the globalists.
Those tens of thousands demonstrating on Saturday should be joining the Labour Party and working to seize it back from the middle class carpetbaggers who have been using it to enrich themselves by milking the state and, in the process, destroying public services and every vestige of social solidarity.
Given that “Simon Cottee is a senior lecturer in criminology at the University of Kent” I should think that the only thing that keeps his job is damning the Tommy Robinsons of the world with faint praise.
A good article, thank you. I think you miss the point about the deliberate use of uncontrolled immigration to demoralise western countries. I absolutely believe it is being used as a weapon by those for whom homogenous culture, national borders and patriotism represents a barrier to their global ambitions. Guilty white liberals, as you put it, are not part of this plan, but they are ignorant tools (intended) useful for its implementation. I no longer care if people think I’m mad for believing that because believe it I do.
“Robinson’s main complaint is that the anti-immigration rioters were unfairly demonised as far-Right thugs animated by racism and Islamophobia.”
Then what were they rioting for, the repeal of UK’s current immigration laws?
As of April 2024, the UK has new immigration rules for skilled workers and family visas:
Skilled worker visas
The minimum salary required for a skilled worker visa is £38,700, up from £26,200. The minimum salary for healthcare workers is £29,000. The standard fee for a skilled visa is between £719 and £1,500, plus a healthcare surcharge of £1,035 per year.
Family visas
The minimum income required to sponsor a spouse or partner visa is £29,000, up from £18,600. Social care workers can no longer bring dependants on their visa.
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9920/
Just discussing this with my wife. She’s baffled. “Tommy Robinson isn’t a terrorist,” she said, “he’s just a very naughty boy.”
This article has a brief reference history fraudulent activity. Why not actually call him by his real name & point out his Irish ancestry. Weirdly it doesn’t mention that Yaxley Lennon travels around Europe on an Irish passport to avoid having to declare his many convictions. For this reason the article lacks credibility
‘…if he can reign in his narcissism…’. Good luck with that.
Being concerned about illegal immigration and furthermore whether the values of some are acceptable to modern Britain is entirely legit. What is not is tarring all with the same brush, using lies and then yobbish thuggery to intimidate. It’s a basic distinction.
Yaxley-Lennon made himself pretty rich on the back of this notoriety. Similar to Farage in that respect. What a couple of troopers.
Thanks for mentioning his real name. For some reason the article fails to mention this & the fact he travels on an Irish passport to avoid having to disclose his many convictions. Some patriot.
If only there was someone like an Alan Bates type figurehead instead, then maybe the political class would listen to ordinary peoples concerns, surely?
What is not is tarring all with the same brush
Have you seen Dawn Butler’s poem about how disgusting white people are?