Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has distanced himself from Tommy Robinson, the controversial far-right figure who is currently in prison and recently received support from tech billionaire and platform X owner Elon Musk.
“I never wanted Tommy Robinson to join UKIP,” Farage said on Friday night, referring to his former party which led the Brexit campaign. “I don’t want him to join Reform UK, and he won’t,” Farage said.
Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is the founder of the far-right English Defense League. In recent months, he has organized large anti-immigrant rallies across the UK, attracting significant attention on social media, particularly on Musk’s X platform.
Robinson was banned from Twitter in 2018 for violating its “hate speech” policy, but his account was reactivated last year after Musk took over and rebranded the platform. He is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence for breaching a court order related to false claims he made in a documentary about a Syrian boy.
In a series of controversial political statements, Musk this week backed Robinson’s documentary and called on British authorities to release him.
Musk’s statements drew condemnation from British politicians. Labor MP Stella Creasy told Politico that Musk’s support for Robinson “shows how much of a problem he is for democracy.”
The tech billionaire met with Farage at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida last month, where they discussed a possible donation to the Reform UK party.
Farage praised Musk on Friday, describing him as “an absolute hero, especially among young people.” Farage said Musk was “very useful to our cause”.
“There’s a whole range of opinions, some of which I strongly agree with, while others I’m more reserved about,” Farage said.
(Vijesti.ba)
