Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Tommy Robinson

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Tommy Robinson made an impact.

Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, is a British far-right, anti-Islam activist. He co-founded and led the English Defence League (EDL) from 2009 to 2013. He is considered a prominent far-right figure in the UK.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1981: Breach of Contempt of Court Act

In May 2018, Tommy Robinson breached a temporary section 4 (2) order under the Contempt of Court Act 1981. It was stated that if a retrial had to be held as a result of his actions the cost could be "hundreds and hundreds of thousands of pounds".

2003: Qualified as aircraft engineer and lost job

In 2003, Tommy Robinson qualified as an aircraft engineer after five years of study, but lost his job when he was convicted of assaulting an off-duty police officer.

2004: Joined British National Party

In 2004, Tommy Robinson became a member of the British National Party (BNP).

2005: Left British National Party

In 2005, Tommy Robinson ceased being a member of the British National Party (BNP).

March 2009: Involvement with United Peoples of Luton

In March 2009, Tommy Robinson was involved with the group United Peoples of Luton, formed in response to a protest against Royal Anglian Regiment troops returning from the Afghan War being attacked by Islamist groups Al-Muhajiroun and Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah.

2009: Co-founded English Defence League

In 2009, Tommy Robinson co-founded the English Defence League (EDL).

2009: Founded the English Defence League (EDL)

In 2009, Tommy Robinson founded the English Defence League (EDL) with his cousin Kevin Carroll, becoming its leader.

2010: Owned a tanning salon in Luton

In 2010, Tommy Robinson owned a tanning salon in Luton.

2011: Electoral pact agreed between EDL and BFP

In 2011, an electoral pact was agreed between the EDL and the British Freedom Party (BFP).

April 2012: Participated in BBC Series The Big Questions

In April 2012, Tommy Robinson took part in the BBC series The Big Questions, which led to meetings with Mo Ansar and the BBC documentary When Tommy Met Mo.

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October 2012: Resigned from British Freedom Party

On 11 October 2012, Tommy Robinson resigned from the British Freedom Party (BFP) to concentrate on EDL activities.

2012: Joint vice-chairman of British Freedom Party

For a short time in 2012, Tommy Robinson was joint vice-chairman of the British Freedom Party (BFP).

June 2013: Response to BNP membership question

In June 2013, when questioned by Andrew Neil, Tommy Robinson said that he had left the British National Party (BNP) after one year because he did not know Nick Griffin was in the National Front or that non-whites could not join the organisation.

October 2013: Left English Defence League

On 8 October 2013, Tommy Robinson announced he had left the English Defence League (EDL) due to concerns over far-right extremism. He apologised for blaming "every single Muslim" for "getting away" with the 7 July 2005 London bombings.

2013: Legendary Status in Counter-Jihad Movement

By 2013, Tommy Robinson was considered the "rock star" of the European Counter-Jihad Movement (ECJM).

2013: Served as leader of EDL until 2013

Tommy Robinson served as the leader of the English Defence League (EDL) until 2013.

November 2014: Spoke at Oxford Union

On 26 November 2014, Tommy Robinson spoke at the Oxford Union, facing protests from Unite Against Fascism (UAF).

October 2015: Addressed Pegida Anti-Islam Rally

In October 2015, Tommy Robinson addressed a Pegida anti-Islam rally, speaking out against the threat of Islamist terrorists posing as refugees.

December 2015: Announced Creation of Pegida British Chapter

In December 2015, Tommy Robinson announced the creation of a "British chapter" of Pegida, setting rules against alcohol and fighting.

2015: Involved with Pegida UK

In 2015, Tommy Robinson became involved with the development of Pegida UK, a British chapter of the German Pegida.

May 2017: Charged and Convicted of Contempt of Court

In May 2017, Tommy Robinson was charged and convicted of contempt of court after filming inside Canterbury Crown Court and posting prejudicial statements about the defendants, who he called "Muslim child rapists", while the jury was deliberating. Judge Heather Norton stated that his actions could have derailed the trial and were not about free speech or legitimate journalism, but about ensuring justice and fairness.

2017: Wrote and appeared in videos on Rebel News

From 2017, Tommy Robinson wrote and appeared in videos on the Canadian website Rebel News.

2017: Rising public profile since 2017

Since 2017, Tommy Robinson's public profile has risen due to substantial funding and assistance with media and networking from US tech billionaire Robert Shillman, the Middle East Forum, the David Horowitz Freedom Centre and the Gatestone Institute. These sources combine advocacy for Israel with encouragement for viewpoints and political movements in conflict with Muslims in Europe or North America.

May 2018: Arrested for Breach of Peace

In May 2018, Tommy Robinson was arrested for a breach of the peace while live streaming outside Leeds Crown Court during the trial of the Huddersfield grooming gang, which had reporting restrictions ordered by the judge. Following the arrest, Judge Geoffrey Marson QC issued a further reporting restriction on Robinson's case, prohibiting any reporting of it until the grooming trial was complete.

May 2018: Reporting Restriction Lifted, Jailed for Contempt

On 29 May 2018, the reporting restriction regarding Tommy Robinson was lifted. The media reported that Robinson admitted contempt of court for publishing information that could prejudice an ongoing trial and was jailed for 13 months. Judge Marson sentenced him to ten months for contempt, and his previous three-month suspended sentence was activated because of the breach. Robinson's lawyer said he felt "deep regret" after comprehending the potential consequences of his behavior.

July 2018: Lobbying Efforts and Financial Aid

In July 2018, Reuters reported that the United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback, lobbied the UK government on the treatment of Tommy Robinson. The Middle East Forum also lobbied the United States government and provided financial aid for rallies and legal aid, donating US$50,000 to his legal defense fund.

July 2018: Appeal Lodged

In July 2018, Tommy Robinson lodged an appeal initially against the proceedings at Leeds, and later against convictions both at Canterbury and Leeds. The Court of Appeal agreed to hear Robinson's appeal out of time because Robinson had been held in "effective solitary confinement", which had made it difficult for him to have meetings with his lawyers. The matter came before the Lord Chief Justice and two others at the Court of Appeal on 18 July 2018.

August 2018: Appeal Ruling

On 1 August 2018, the Court of Appeal issued its ruling on Tommy Robinson's appeal. The appeal against the Canterbury proceedings failed, but the appeal against the Leeds proceedings succeeded.

August 2018: Interview on Tucker Carlson Tonight

On 2 August 2018, Tommy Robinson was interviewed on Tucker Carlson Tonight, where he discussed his two months in prison. He claimed he was mistreated at HM Prison Onley and put in 'solitary confinement', which HM Prison Service rejected.

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September 2018: Expressed desire to join UKIP

In September 2018, Tommy Robinson expressed a desire to join the UK Independence Party (UKIP).

October 2018: Invitation to Speak in US

In October 2018, Republican Party politician Paul Gosar and six other members of the US Congress invited Tommy Robinson to speak at a private meeting on 14 November 2018. The trip was to be sponsored by the Middle East Forum, which said it had provided Robinson with legal funds since his imprisonment. However, Robinson was not granted a visa for the trip.

October 2018: False Accusations Against Syrian Refugee Boy

In October 2018, after a Syrian refugee boy was assaulted in a school bullying incident, Tommy Robinson falsely accused the victim of having previously attacked two schoolgirls.

November 2018: Appointed as "grooming gang advisor" to UKIP

In November 2018, Tommy Robinson was appointed as a "grooming gang advisor" to UKIP under Gerard Batten.

November 2018: Visa Denial

In November 2018, Tommy Robinson was denied a visa for a trip to the US, where he had been invited to speak at a private meeting sponsored by the Middle East Forum.

November 2018: Appointed as advisor to UKIP leader

In November 2018, UKIP leader Gerard Batten appointed Tommy Robinson as his advisor. This led to criticism from former leader Nigel Farage, who described Robinson as a "thug."

2018: Political advisor to Gerard Batten

In 2018, Tommy Robinson served as a political advisor to Gerard Batten, then the leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP).

2018: Imprisonment and Release

In 2018, Tommy Robinson's suspended prison sentence was activated due to another contempt of court finding in Leeds. He was later released after a successful challenge to the court's sentencing procedure, and a rehearing was ordered. The contempt of court offense related to speeches or publications that could create a substantial risk of impeding or prejudicing the course of justice.

2018: US President Trump's ambassador raised imprisonment issue with the British government

In 2018, US President Trump's ambassador for international religious freedom, former Senator Sam Brownback, raised the issue of Tommy Robinson's imprisonment with the British government, and Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. tweeted in support of Robinson.

February 2019: Banned From Facebook

On 26 February 2019, Facebook announced that it had banned Tommy Robinson from the service for violating its community standards and "posting material that uses dehumanizing language and calls for violence targeted at Muslims".

March 2019: Further Contempt Proceedings

In March 2019, the attorney general decided to bring further contempt proceedings against Tommy Robinson. This followed a quashed conviction by the Court of Appeal in August 2018 and a referral from the Recorder of London in October 2018. Robinson reacted by alleging this was state persecution.

April 2019: Announced candidacy for European Parliament election

On 25 April 2019, Tommy Robinson announced that he would be an independent candidate at the 2019 European Parliament election in North West England.

May 2019: Robinson Admits to Posting Fake News, Sued for Defamation

In May 2019, after receiving a letter from lawyers representing the refugee boy's family, pointing out that the videos Tommy Robinson had posted "contain a number of false and defamatory allegations", Robinson admitted to his followers that it was fake news and said that he had been duped. On 15 May 2019, the boy's lawyer said that his client was suing Robinson for "defamatory comments" Robinson had made.

July 2019: Jailed for Nine Months

On 11 July 2019, Tommy Robinson was jailed for nine months at the Old Bailey. He described the sentence as an "absolute joke" and called for protests. Outside the court, supporters protested, leading to some violence.

July 2019: Guilty of Contempt of Court at Retrial

On 5 July 2019, Tommy Robinson was again found guilty of contempt of court at the retrial on three different grounds, including breaching the reporting restriction.

September 2019: Released From Prison

On 13 September 2019, Tommy Robinson was released from prison after serving nine weeks. He later said he had spoken to Julian Assange in prison and announced his support for him.

2019: Endorsed Boris Johnson for prime minister

Prior to the 2019 United Kingdom general election, Tommy Robinson endorsed Conservative Party leader Boris Johnson as prime minister.

February 2020: Launched far-right organisation Hearts of Oak

In February 2020, Tommy Robinson, along with Carl Benjamin and other former UKIP members, launched the far-right organisation Hearts of Oak, describing it as a "cultural movement" focused on issues like immigration and freedom of speech.

July 2021: Found Liable for Libel

On 22 July 2021, Tommy Robinson was found to have libelled the Syrian refugee boy and was ordered to pay £100,000 plus legal costs, which were understood to amount to a further £500,000. An injunction was also granted to stop Robinson from repeating the libel.

January 2022: Insolvency Expert Appointed

In January 2022 an independent insolvency expert was appointed by Tommy Robinson's creditors (who, including the schoolboy and the boy's lawyers, were owed an estimated £1.5 million in legal costs) to find any assets or money that Robinson could be hiding.

March 2022: Endorsed For Britain party

In March 2022, Tommy Robinson began to endorse For Britain, and encouraged his supporters to join the party to "build a political force".

January 2025: Elon Musk supports Tommy Robinson on Twitter

On January 1, 2025, Twitter owner Elon Musk retweeted the full film by Tommy Robinson, saying it was "Worth watching". On January 2, Musk tweeted "Free Tommy Robinson!" and later questioned why Robinson was in solitary confinement for telling the truth. On January 7, Robinson released a podcast praising Musk, leading HM Prison Service to investigate how the podcast was recorded from his prison cell.

August 2025: Joined Advance UK

On 3 August 2025, Tommy Robinson posted a video on his X account, announcing that he had joined Advance UK. The party was set up by Ben Habib, who had previously been a co-deputy leader of Reform UK.

October 2025: Travel to Israel and address at Tel Aviv International Salon

In October 2025, Tommy Robinson traveled to Israel as a guest of Amichai Chikli, addressing hundreds at the Tel Aviv International Salon, where he denounced Britain's recognition of a Palestinian state. His visit, funded by the Israeli government, included visits to Israel's parliament, a West Bank settlement, and the Gaza border.

January 2026: Endorsed Matt Goodwin for the Gorton and Denton by-election

On 30 January 2026, Tommy Robinson endorsed Reform's Matt Goodwin for the 2026 Gorton and Denton by-election. Goodwin refused to welcome the endorsement.