Tommy Robinson to leave the EDL for the British Freedom Party

Rumour has it that on Saturday 19th December at a meeting in Birmingham, Tommy Robinson the leader of the EDL is to announce that he is leaving the EDL to join the British Freedom Party. This has generally been a poorly kept secret and has been widely discussed EDL circles.

Apparently Robinson wants to get involved in electoral politics, and clearly does not see the EDL as the vehicle he needs. I will be very interested to what happens to the EDL name, rather than the individuals within in it. As Robinson created the EDL, I presume that he owns the name, website etc.

So, what becomes of the organisation? Robinson’s position within the EDL has appeared to become more and more untenable over the last few weeks. There are divisions withdrawing from the national organisation and calling themselves something different.

There have been many EDL members slagging Robinson off, and accusing him of stealing money from EDL membership subscriptions and from merchandise sales. Rumours of Robinson pilfering money are rife. Perhaps he will be taking his ill-gotten gains to the British Freedom Party.

It is difficult to say what has led to Robinson abandoning the EDL. I suspect it is combination of two things. Firstly. The fact that the EDL going absolutely nowhere due to increasingly shrinking numbers on their national demonstrations. There was only three hundred at the last one. Secondly, the arrogance and grandiosity of Robinson, believing he is some kind of ‘man of the people’ and will have enough supporters and charisma to get himself elected.

After several years of denying being a fascist, he has gone and joined a party of fascist cranks, with a logo that Oswald Moseley would be proud of. Great stuff, he will fit into the political establishment perfectly as he is a bare faced liar.

The biggest implication of this for us is that several of the EDL divisions now appear to be pleased that they can lose the shackles of Robinson’s leadership. There are many who have made statements suggesting that now “we can be openly racist, and become “the street movement that we wanted to be”. The Liverpool Division have now left the national organisation and are vowing to change their focus. They are talking of an aggressive street campaign against the far left. In their words, “we are now a rouge division”. I am not 100%, but is suspect it was meant to say ‘rogue’. When I learn to speak ‘knuckle dragger’ I will know for certain and will report back.

There are interesting times ahead for Tommy Robinson, and for the EDL, if they even continue under that name, or at all.