The Redemption of Tommy Robinson

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He's been vindicated by events - and his positive, inclusive movement is the safest off-ramp for growing British anger at grooming gangs and Islamism.

Tommy Robinson’s redemption arc has been incredible to watch. I’ve got to admit, for years I believed everything said about him - he’s a “racist”, a “criminal”, a “grifter”. It was (as ever) easier to go along with the communal opinion.

But then I saw that the same establishment that was smearing him was also culpable in the crimes he was talking about. The grooming gang scandal was covered up and perpetuated for decades because the communities behind those crimes were voting Labour, and Labour didn’t want to rock that boat.

And even people on the right need a bogeyman to point to and say, “See? I’m not as bad as him”.

Revelations about Muslim rape gangs, the rise of Islamism in the UK and Tommy’s persistence in the face of vilification gradually changed people’s minds. And the rise of an actual ethno-nationalist far-right who hate his multiracial civnat movement put his opinions into perspective.

There’s now a palpable change in public attitudes to Tommy. Celebs such as Sharon Osbourne and Holly Valance Sheet are breaking ranks to support him. His rallies grow in size; they’re no longer attended (only) by hooligans; there are middle class families.

And there’s a growing realisation that those “hooligans” that the Guardian sneers at might be the people who save this country from going the way of Lebanon.

A few years ago, after being told off for talking about Tommy live on TV, I joked to a colleague that one day he’d get an OBE. Now I don’t even think it’s unlikely.

I sat down with Tommy to ask him about the change in public sentiment towards him.

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