Controversies are a part of history. Explore the biggest scandals linked to Tommy Robinson.
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.
Sharon Osbourne faced backlash after supporting Tommy Robinson, leading Centrepoint to cut ties. Kneecap also criticized Osbourne. The controversy highlights the divisive nature of Robinson's views.
In 1972, Tommy Robinson showed support for an ex-British soldier facing prosecution for the murder of Irish civilians on Bloody Sunday by wearing a badge that said "I support soldiers A–Z" after "Soldier F" was set to face charges for the murder of civilians.
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".
In July 2004, Tommy Robinson assaulted an off-duty police constable who had intervened in an argument between Robinson and his girlfriend, Jenna Vowles. Robinson kicked the officer in the head as he lay on the ground.
In April 2005, at Luton Crown Court, Tommy Robinson was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and assault with intent to resist arrest. He received concurrent sentences of 12 months and 3 months.
In October 2013 Tommy Robinson apologised for blaming "every single Muslim" for "getting away" with the 7 July 2005 London bombings.
In 2005, Tommy Robinson was convicted for assault and served a custodial sentence.
Tommy Robinson has a history of criminal convictions, including for crimes such as assault, threats, harassment, and fraud, as well as contempt of court rulings relating to his documentaries, and has served five prison terms between 2005 and 2025.
In July 2010, the connection between Tommy Robinson and the Luton Town MIGs, a football hooligan crew, was uncovered by Searchlight magazine, revealing his pseudonym and criminal history.
On 24 August 2010, Tommy Robinson led a group of Luton Town F.C. supporters into a brawl involving 100 people in Luton.
On 2 April 2011, Tommy Robinson headbutted a man in Blackburn.
In July 2011, at Luton and South Bedfordshire Magistrates' Court, Tommy Robinson was convicted of using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour. He was sentenced to a 12-month community rehabilitation order, 150 hours of unpaid work, and given a three-year football banning order.
In September 2011, Tommy Robinson was arrested after an EDL demonstration in Tower Hamlets for breach of bail conditions. He began a hunger strike in HM Prison Bedford, and was later released on bail on 12 September.
In September 2011, at Preston Magistrates' Court, Tommy Robinson was convicted of assault for headbutting a man in Blackburn on 2 April 2011.
On 29 September 2011, Tommy Robinson was convicted of common assault after headbutting a fellow EDL member at a rally in Blackburn in April that year. He was sentenced to 12 weeks of imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.
In November 2011 Tommy Robinson was given a 12-week jail term, suspended for 12 months, for assault.
On 8 November 2011, Tommy Robinson held a protest on the rooftop of the FIFA headquarters in Zürich against FIFA's ruling that the England national football team could not wear a Remembrance poppy symbol on their shirts, and was fined £3,000 and jailed for three days.
On 22 December 2011, Tommy Robinson reported being assaulted by three men of Asian appearance after stopping his car; the motive for the attack was unclear.
In 2011, Tommy Robinson was convicted of using 'threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour' during a fight between supporters of Luton Town and Newport County in Luton the previous year and was sentenced to a 12-month community rehabilitation order with 150 hours of unpaid work and a three-year ban from attending football matches.
In October 2012, Tommy Robinson was arrested and held on the charge of having entered the United States illegally.
In November 2012, Tommy Robinson was charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by misrepresentation in relation to a mortgage application, along with five other defendants.
In 2012, Tommy Robinson was convicted for using false travel documents and served a custodial sentence.
In January 2013, Tommy Robinson was sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment at Southwark Crown Court for using a passport that did not belong to him.
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.
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.
In January 2014, Tommy Robinson was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment for mortgage fraud. He had pleaded guilty to two charges related to a £160,000 fraud.
In October 2014, Tommy Robinson was recalled to prison for breaching the terms of his licence.
In 2014, Tommy Robinson was convicted for mortgage fraud and served a custodial sentence.
In October 2015, Tommy Robinson addressed a Pegida anti-Islam rally, speaking out against the threat of Islamist terrorists posing as refugees.
On 14 February 2016, Tommy Robinson was attacked and treated at a hospital after leaving a nightclub in Essex.
On 27 August 2016, Tommy Robinson and his family were ejected by police from a pub in Cambridge.
In May 2017, Tommy Robinson was arrested for contempt of court after attempting to film defendants in a rape trial outside Canterbury Crown 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.
Tommy Robinson was involved in a fist fight at Royal Ascot in June 2017, which led to criticism from Piers Morgan on Twitter.
In 2017, it was revealed that the perpetrator of the 2017 Finsbury Park mosque terrorist attack had subscribed to email updates from Tommy Robinson's website and read Robinson's tweets. A tweet mocking people for responding to terrorism with the phrase "don't look back in anger" was found at the scene. Emails from Robinson's account to the attacker were also discovered.
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.
In March 2018, Tommy Robinson attended court in support of Mark Meechan, a Scottish YouTuber, who was charged with a hate crime for posting a video of a dog performing Nazi salutes. Meechan was later found guilty.
In March 2018, Tommy Robinson was permanently banned from Twitter for violating its rules on "hateful conduct".
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In October 2018, Tommy Robinson posted a photo with British Army "recruits" and a video in which they allegedly cheered him. This led to an investigation by the British Army, who stated that far-right ideology is against their values.
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.
In November 2018, PayPal told Tommy Robinson that it would no longer process payments on his behalf, citing that the service cannot be used to promote hate, violence, or other forms of intolerance.
In November 2018, Tommy Robinson was appointed as a "grooming gang advisor" to UKIP under Gerard Batten.
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.
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."
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.
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.
In January 2019, Tommy Robinson livestreamed himself leading a group that surrounded a library where Stewart McDonald, an MP, was holding a 'surgery', causing a lockdown. The group reportedly blocked emergency exits, and McDonald was escorted away by police.
In January 2019, YouTube announced that it had removed adverts from Tommy Robinson's account, saying that he had breached the site's guidelines.
In January 2019, the Syrian refugee boy said returning to Almondbury Community School was still too dangerous. He described living in fear after Tommy Robinson's postings because "there are people who hang around outside my house and video me on their phones. They call me 'little rat' if I go outside. One of my neighbours threatened me outside my house just yesterday."
In February 2019, Facebook and Instagram banned Tommy Robinson from their platforms, citing violations of their hate-speech rules, including "calls for violence targeted at Muslims". Facebook subsequently placed him on its list of "Dangerous Individuals".
In February 2019, Tommy Robinson posted a controversial statement on his Facebook account next to a Rape Crisis flyer, resulting in racist and abusive phone calls to the center. The center condemned his post for disrupting their service provision for sexual violence victims.
On 23 February 2019, Tommy Robinson held a rally in MediaCityUK outside the BBC's Salford offices to protest against the BBC's Panorama program. During the rally Robinson launched his film Panodrama that was broadcast on a large screen to the crowd, and called for the BBC licence fee to be scrapped.
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".
In March 2019, Peterborough County Court rejected Tommy Robinson's claims of harassment against Cambridgeshire Constabulary and ordered him to pay £20,000 towards costs.
In March 2019, Tommy Robinson arrived uninvited outside the home of a journalist who covers far-right issues and attempted to intimidate them, revealing their address on a livestream and threatening to reveal other journalists' addresses. He left after police arrived.
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.
In April 2019, YouTube restricted Tommy Robinson's account due to its "borderline content", placing its content "behind an interstitial [warning page], removed from recommendations, and stripped of key features including livestreaming, comments, suggested videos, and likes".
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.
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.
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.
In January 2020, Tommy Robinson received the Sappho Award from the Danish Free Press Society at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen. The organization is associated with the counterjihad movement.
In February 2020, Tommy Robinson travelled to Russia, visiting Moscow and Saint Petersburg for talks, meetings, and media appearances. Russian state media portrayed him as a victim of censorship. The New York Times alleged he sought Russian bank accounts to hide money.
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.
In April 2020, Tommy Robinson was banned from TikTok for sharing content that "promote[s] hateful ideology". Following the ban, Robinson joined VK, a Russian social media platform.
In August 2020, Tommy Robinson's pre-recorded speech was displayed at a protest demanding the deportation of the men involved in the Rochdale child sex abuse ring. Other speakers made controversial statements. Antifascist counter-protestors accused Hearts of Oak of Islamophobia, racism, and nationalism.
On 1 November 2020, Tommy Robinson was arrested at Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park, London, for breaking COVID-19 lockdown rules.
In 2020, Tommy Robinson visited Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, after protests in support of Eleanor Williams, who was accused of lying about being raped by a grooming gang, despite her family asking him to stay away.
In January 2021, Tommy Robinson went to the home of the journalist Lizzie Dearden after she had asked for his comment for a story she was writing about allegations that he had misused financial donations from his supporters. He falsely accused her partner of being a paedophile and threatened to return every night.
On 19 March 2021 Tommy Robinson was issued with an interim stalking ban order.
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.
On 13 October 2021, Tommy Robinson was convicted at Westminster Magistrates' Court of stalking a couple, and was given a five-year ban from contacting them or referring to them.
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.
In January 2022, Tommy Robinson held a protest and screened his documentary, The Rape of Britain: Survivor Stories, about Muslim grooming gangs, in response to the Telford child sexual exploitation scandal.
Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Tommy Robinson spread pro-Russian disinformation about the war.
On 19 October 2023 Tommy Robinson lost his appeal against the stalking ban order, having admitted that the allegations he made about Dearden's partner were false.
On 28 July 2024, Tommy Robinson refused to provide his mobile phone login PIN when requested by police in Folkestone, leading to a terror-related charge.
On July 28, 2024, Tommy Robinson was arrested by Kent Police at the Channel Tunnel in Folkestone under the Terrorism Act 2000 for frustration of a schedule 7 examination, following his Unite the Kingdom protest at Trafalgar Square. He was released on bail, and an arrest warrant was issued after he left the country.
In August 2024 Tommy Robinson was charged with harassment causing fear of violence against two Daily Mail journalists.
In August 2024, The Times reported that Tommy Robinson owed around £2 million to his creditors and had created "a web of secretive companies" which made profits of over £1.6 million without paying tax. The directors of these entities failed to file any annual accounts, and one company owed £328,000 in corporation tax and employer contributions to HMRC.
In August 2024, The Times reported that Tommy Robinson owed in the region of £2 million to his creditors and was the subject of a HMRC investigation over unpaid taxes.
In August 2024, on the 30th anniversary of Richard Everitt's murder, Tommy Robinson falsely claimed on X that three defendants were 'convicted' of the crime. After being notified of the error, he reposted the original screen. Lawyers reported the post, and it was removed on September 6.
In August 2024, prosecutors in the UK began to investigate Tommy Robinson for his alleged role in inciting the riots following the Southport stabbing.
In August 2024, three Irish Teachtaí Dála asked the Irish government to investigate the validity of Tommy Robinson's Irish passport, after it emerged he had given his place of birth as "Ireland".
In October 2024, Tommy Robinson handed himself in to Folkestone police station and was held in custody before a hearing at Woolwich Crown Court. At the hearing on October 28, Robinson admitted contempt of court by repeating false allegations about a Syrian refugee and was sentenced to 18 months in prison, with a significant costs order. The judge stated that Robinson showed no remorse and regarded himself as above the law.
On 13 November 2024, Tommy Robinson appeared in court charged with a terror-related offence after refusing to provide his mobile phone login PIN when requested by police in Folkestone on 28 July 2024.
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.
On January 2, 2025, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), Elon Musk, pinned the message "Free Tommy Robinson" to the top of his own X-feed.
In March 2025, a trial was initially expected for Tommy Robinson charged with a terror-related offence.
On 21 May 2025, Tommy Robinson was charged with harassment causing fear of violence against two Daily Mail journalists in August 2024.
On 5 June 2025, Tommy Robinson appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court, elected for a trial by jury, and was released on bail ahead of a pre-trial hearing at Southwark Crown Court on 3 July 2025.
In July 2025, at the hearing, Tommy Robinson entered not guilty pleas to harassment charges.
In August 2025, Tommy Robinson shared a video on Twitter of a black man and his brother playing with his white granddaughters, falsely accusing them of paedophilia, leading to racial abuse and false accusations against the family.
In September 2025, Tommy Robinson organized a 'Unite the Kingdom' rally in central London, which was attended by over 110,000 people. A counter-protest also took place, and violence resulted in injuries and arrests. Additionally, Labi Siffre issued a cease and desist order against Robinson for using his song "(Something Inside) So Strong" at the rally.
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.
In October 2025, some Metropolitan Police officers were suspended for allegedly supporting Tommy Robinson's anti-Muslim stance.
On 13 October 2025, the trial for Tommy Robinson, charged with a terror-related offence, opened. After a two-day hearing, it closed on 14 October.
On 4 November 2025, Tommy Robinson was cleared of a terror-related offence. The judge ruled that Robinson was stopped unlawfully.
Tommy Robinson has a history of criminal convictions, including for crimes such as assault, threats, harassment, and fraud, as well as contempt of court rulings relating to his documentaries, and has served five prison terms between 2005 and 2025.
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.
In October 2026, Tommy Robinson's trial is scheduled for harassment charges.
Elon Musk is a prominent businessman and entrepreneur He is...
TikTok also known as Douyin in China is a social...
Donald John Trump is an American politician media personality and...
Tucker Carlson is an American conservative political activist and commentator...
Instagram is a photo and video-sharing social networking service owned...
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe the second-largest on...
3 minutes ago Kyrsten Sinema faces affair allegations as private texts surface in court filings.
3 minutes ago Marta Kostyuk Dominates Maria, Advances to All-Ukrainian Rouen Final Against Veronika Podrez.
3 minutes ago Arthur Fils reaches Barcelona ATP 500 final, preparing for Roland Garros.
3 minutes ago Jake Tapper Criticizes Trump Team's 'Spring of Sacrilege' Amid Jesus Comparisons and Pope Issues.
1 hour ago Tyren Montgomery: From Basketball Court to NFL Draft Hopeful Prospect Profile
1 hour ago Duke Energy's Upside: Comparing with NextEra & AES in Renewables Market.
William Franklin Graham III known as Franklin Graham is an...
Paula White-Cain is a prominent American televangelist and key figure...
Melania Trump is a Slovenian-American former model who served as...
Eric Swalwell is an American lawyer and politician currently serving...
Viktor Orb n is a prominent Hungarian politician and lawyer...
J D Vance is an American politician and author He...