The feud between Farage and Robinson has escalated
The feud between the two figures on the British far-right has escalated, with Tommy Robinson sending a pre-action legal letter to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is demanding that Farage retract what he describes as “libellous” claims he made in an LBC interview in January this year.
Speaking to LBC’s Nick Ferrari, the Reform leader said of Robinson: “He has a criminal record, a list as long as your arm, violence, violence against women”.
Farage’s comments came after Elon Musk said he didn’t have what it took to be Reform leader.
Musk then called for Robinson to be freed from prison, claiming that he was in solitary confinement in prison for telling the truth about “migrant rape gangs”.
Seeking to distance his party from Robinson, Farage told LBC that the far-right campaigner was in jail for contempt of court.
Farage also said: “We’re a political party aiming to win the next general election. He’s not what we need.”
Robinson has several convictions, including for assaulting a police officer, using a false passport and committing mortgage fraud. He has also twice been jailed for contempt of court, but denies having been violent towards women.
He said on X: “I simply cannot allow this lie to be taken as fact. There is zero truth in it and I want my name cleared.”
However, he was first convicted back in 2005 for assaulting an off-duty police officer who had “intervened in a bid to protect the EDL founder’s girlfriend” as they argued in the street.
Robinson has now said he will take legal action against Farage if he doesn’t respond to his letter by January.
The co-founder of the anti-Islam English Defence League said he would accept an apology in the form of a pinned post on X, alongside the payment of damages.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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