Who is Tommy Robinson and why is Elon Musk backing him?
Elon Musk, an American billionaire, is not only advocating for United States President-elect Donald Trump and encouraging German citizens to support the far-right political party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), in the forthcoming elections, but he is also stirring political controversy in the United Kingdom.
He has initiated an online campaign aimed at securing the release of Tommy Robinson, a far-right activist currently incarcerated. Robinson is serving a sentence for breaching an injunction, although he has a history of imprisonment for assault and contempt of court.
What has Musk stated regarding Tommy Robinson?
Recently appointed as a special adviser by Trump, Musk took to his X account on Wednesday and Thursday to express his belief that Robinson, known for his anti-immigration and anti-Islam stance, "should be freed" from incarceration.
Free Tommy Robinson!@TRobinsonNewEra
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 2, 2025
In another post, he wrote: “Why is Tommy Robinson in a solitary confinement prison for telling the truth?”
Why is Tommy Robinson in a solitary confinement prison for telling the truth?
He should be freed and those who covered up this travesty should take his place in that cell. https://t.co/Dn48JLoJgR
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 1, 2025
Who is Tommy Robinson and why is he back in prison?
Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is a 42-year-old individual currently serving an 18-month prison sentence for contempt of court related to a libel case involving Jamal Hijazi, a Syrian refugee schoolboy.
In October 2018, a video depicting a 15-year-old Hijazi being assaulted by another student at a school in Almondbury, Yorkshire, gained significant attention in the UK. In response, Robinson shared videos on his Facebook account, alleging that Hijazi had assaulted "young English girls" and threatened to stab a fellow student, claims that Hijazi has denied.
Latest: Grooming Gangs Scandal: Timeline
These videos garnered nearly one million views and resulted in death threats directed at Hijazi and his family. In 2021, the High Court determined that Robinson had defamed Hijazi, ordering him to pay £100,000 (approximately $124,000) in damages and issuing an injunction prohibiting him from repeating the allegations.
Despite this, in February 2023, Robinson began to reiterate these claims and produced a documentary, which he shared on his X account, asserting that he had been "silenced by the state." In July 2024, he presented this documentary to an audience in Trafalgar Square, London. As a result of violating the 2021 injunction, Robinson was sentenced to 18 months in prison by Woolwich Crown Court in October 2024.
Latest: Is the UK Hiding the Truth about Grooming Gangs?
His documentary, titled "Silenced," remains available on X, boasting 146.2 million views as of Friday and has been retweeted by approximately 101,000 users, including Elon Musk. Robinson was initially banned from X, previously known as Twitter, in 2018 but was permitted to return to the platform following Musk's acquisition in the same year. He currently has over one million followers on X.
Robinson has a history of legal troubles, having been incarcerated for assault in 2005, mortgage fraud in 2014, and contempt of court in 2024. In 2019, he received a nine-month prison sentence for contempt of court after posting a video on Facebook that included defendants involved in a criminal trial concerning a group of alleged sex offenders accused of abusing young girls.
In June 2009, he established the far-right, Islamophobic organization known as the English Defence League, which organized violent protests against Islam and remained active until approximately 2013.
Why has Musk expressed support for Robinson.
Musk's endorsements followed a prolonged scandal regarding grooming gangs in the UK, which he asserts Robinson attempted to expose. An independent review conducted in June 2022 revealed that both the police and local council had failed to prevent the sexual exploitation of young girls by gangs in Oldham, northern England, identifying numerous missed opportunities to halt the abuse dating back to 2005.
In July 2024, political leaders from Oldham Council urged the government to investigate child sexual abuse in the area perpetrated by "grooming gangs." However, in October 2024, Home Office Minister Jess Phillips dismissed the council's appeal, asserting that it should conduct its own investigation. On Wednesday, the right-leaning British news outlet GB News reported on this situation, attributing blame to the Labour Party, which gained power in July following a decisive election that ended 14 years of Conservative rule, for its lack of action regarding the grooming gangs. This report was further disseminated by Musk and Conservative leaders in the UK.
Explainer: Grooming Gangs Scandal: Timeline
Musk made a statement on his X account, asserting that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer did not successfully prosecute child rapists during his tenure as director of public prosecutions from 2008 to 2013.
Additionally, he remarked on X on Friday, labeling Jess Phillips as a "rape genocide apologist." Musk's endorsements of Robinson coincide with a series of posts in support of various European right-wing figures. In late December, he published an opinion article advocating for the German right-wing party AfD. Furthermore, he has expressed support for Nigel Farage's far-right Reform UK party and Italy's right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
How are UK politicians reacting to Musk’s comments?
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said Musk’s views are “misjudged and misinformed”.
“Musk’s support not just for Tommy Robinson, but also the AfD in Germany, shows just how big a problem he is for democracy as well as the reputation of those who cosy up to him like Nigel Farage and Liz Truss,” Labour parliamentarian Stella Creasy told Politico.
In December, Farage met Musk at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. On Thursday, Musk posted on X “Only Reform can save Britain”.
Only Reform can save Britain. https://t.co/KayCknFQUZ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 1, 2025
In 2018, Farage stepped down from the UK Independence Party (UKIP) following the appointment of Robinson as an official adviser by its leader, Gerard Batten. Zia Yusuf, the chairman of Reform, is also a Muslim. Farage has not yet made any public comments regarding Musk's recent posts about Robinson.
