Far right party linked to ‘Tommy Robinson’ allowed to promote itself at Welsh Show
Martin Shipton
An historic family event in north Wales has allowed a far-right party associated with the criminal activist who calls himself Tommy Robinson to have a presence on the showfield.
Anti-fascist campaigner Gary Williams wrote to the administrator of the Denbigh & Flint Show saying: “I understand that ‘Advance UK’ will be present at the Denbigh & Flint Show on August 21. I am deeply concerned about this, as this newly-formed party has documented links to far-right figures including Tommy Robinson and other divisive, openly hateful individuals.
“The party [in Wales]is fronted by Richard Taylor, a former Abolish the Assembly, Brexit Party, and Reform UK member, as well as an ex-criminal. Given the group’s connections and public messaging, their presence risks promoting extremist views in a family-oriented community event.
“Could you please explain how their participation has been permitted, and confirm what steps will be taken to ensure the event remains inclusive and free from extremist political influence?”
Robinson announced earlier in August that he was joining Ben Habib’s Advance UK party, and is calling on his followers to do the same.
The move was announced in a video thought to have been made in London before an incident in which Robinson is alleged to have assaulted a man at St Pancras station.
Nigel Farage
In the video Robinson – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – denounces Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as wanting to “make peace with Islam”.
Habib is a former co-deputy leader of Reform, but fell out with Farage.
Robinson and Habib both favour “mass deportations” of migrants.
Taylor became known across the UK through his previously frequent appearances as a pundit on GB News.
A self-confessed teenage criminal, burglar and drug user originally from Llanelli, he wrote an autobiography about how he found Jesus in prison.
Subsequently he became a pastor at an evangelical church in Cwmbran, but he left suddenly following a financial dispute and – as he put it in a podcast – after he “committed adultery against [his] wife”.
In the 2019 general election he stood as the Brexit Party’s candidate in Blaenau Gwent, coming second to re-elected Labour MP Nick Smith, who was 8,647 votes ahead of him.
Defected
By 2021 he had defected to the Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party. He stood for the Senedd, also in Blaenau Gwent, coming fifth with 1,364 votes (6.6% of the total vote). Sitting Labour MS Alun Davies was re-elected.
The anti-fascist group Far Right Watch Wales said in a statement circulated to its supporters: “The feelgood factor that Reform party bosses apparently felt after the UK general election, when the right wing populist party saw five MPs elected, must have evaporated when news reached them that they’d suffered a seismic defection in Wales with the announcement from Richard Taylor on his Facebook page that he was leaving the party in protest at its refusal to support Taylor’s political hero the far right grifter in-chief Tommy ’10 names and 10 criminal convictions’ Robinson.
“We are of course being jocular – word has reached us from inside Reform that party activists in Wales breathed a huge sigh of relief that someone with Taylor’s alarming personal history and dubious political past had publicly flounced out of the party because it isn’t extreme right wing enough for him.
“That alarming history includes Taylor’s threats to a Welsh journalist after an expose detailing claims against Taylor of the exploitation of vulnerable people at a church rehab programme he was involved in the days when he was a self styled pastor with an ‘evangelical church’ in Cwmbran. Taylor made the threat when he was standing as a candidate for the Abolish the Welsh Assembly party in the 2021 Senedd elections.
“It’s perhaps fitting that since moving to Llanell, Taylor has been regularly spotted ‘working out’ at a local gym with another far right felon – Dan Morgan, the Voice of Wales co-founder who received a suspended jail sentence for his part in a massive insurance scam which included defrauding elderly people out of their life savings.”
We asked Denbigh & Flint Show, whose beginnings date back to the early 19th century, why Advance UK was being permitted to have a stand at next week’s event.
‘Inclusive’
Show coordinator Maisie Sturge responded: “We would like to clarify that the Show is open to participation from all political parties and groups, provided they operate within the bounds of the law. As a public event, it is important that we maintain a neutral and inclusive stance. To begin selectively excluding any group would set a precedent that could impact the Show’s future and undermine its core principles.
“Political organisations often evolve or change over time, and our role is not to act as a censor. As a democratic nation, we are committed to upholding the values of free expression and fairness.
“It has come to our attention that Mr Gary Williams contacted our sponsors directly regarding this matter. We believe this action was inappropriate and would have appreciated it if he had raised his concerns with us directly first. Contacting sponsors without engaging with the organising committee is not a professional or ethical approach.
“To others with similar concerns, we reiterate that the Show is an agricultural event designed to serve the broader public, regardless of political affiliation. We neither support nor endorse any political party.”
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No, but you don’t give a platform to fascists!
Unfortunately Musk has. They should stay there.
Do we have such a shortage of political parties here on Wales that we need to bring in yet even more fascist parties. It’s fairly clear that these parties only serve their own needs first and use hatred and division to promote their agenda while walking all over their supporters.
They say out of all the elements of detritus scum is the first thing that floats to the surface. It also fronts political parties like Advance UK too.
Inclusivity. Yes fine, but these forces of hate promote the opposite of that so cannot be included on that basis.
Very disappointed by the Denbigh & Flint Show, as a result I won’t be attending. I won’t support anything that happily gives an openly fascist party a platform. What a mealy mouthed statement from the Show, they’ve really dropped a clanger here (or in the worst case scenario have sympathies for them). Having had actual experience of Mr Taylor a few years ago, they’re allowing an absolute monster to disseminate fascist propaganda at a family show – I won’t allow my kids to encounter these people and hear their poison. Disgraceful decision; and this is why the far right is… Read more »
I’ve no time whatsoever, personally, for these far right extremist factions, but I do have sympathy for the sentiments expressed by the show co-ordinator. Given that this party isn’t proscribed and therefore can operate and campaign lawfully, is it really for the show organizers to adopt the role of censor?
They could done due diligence on hateful speech and content.
Even if they’d done that, Advance UK is still a lawful entity.
And the latest polling – coincidentally it’s just come through on my e-mails – indicates that in the event of a Westminster election right now, the Reform UK candidate will take the seat in which this show takes place from the current Labour MP.
The organizers of the show might well be inclined to take those realities into account. They’re likely to be disinclined to take a position which could be painted as party political.
Advance UK isnt the same as Reform John – its actually a far right breakaway from Farage’s party. Even Reform wouldn’t touch Tommy Robinson with a bargepole.
I’m well aware of Advance’s antecedents, and I actually agree with you: I think that Farage is much too canny to allow his faction to be tarred by the Tommy Robinson brush.
But I take the view that the only real and substantial difference between ‘Reform’ and ‘Advance’ is that Reform is absolutely Farage’s show and by now he’s a lot more skilled in political positioning than are those who are promoting other ideologically similar factions.
To be honest, I think it is for the show organisers to take responsibility in these type of circumstances .
Just in the context of the show itself. In this case it is an extremist group which advocates that some of the show’s attendees should be deported purely on the basis of their place of birth and/or skin colour.
I don’t disagree with your general drift at all. But the fact remains that they’re not a legally proscribed organization.
Indeed. However, neither was the Show obliged to associate itself with an extremist organisation; which it has by allowing them a platform in exchange for cash, despite stopping short of endorsing them.
I do see your point, but I think it’s a big misstep by the organisers.
I suppose that, in a way, allowing them to have a stall does ‘associate’ them with Advance – but surely no more than they’re ‘associated’ with any other organization or group which applies to set up a stall, and presumably pays the show organizers for the privilege. Their priority, after all, is to run an annual event which draws people in, and it’s at least arguable that Advance’s presence won’t deter that many people from attending. Whereas taking a de haut en bas moral position would surely, especially in the current political climate, lay them open to attacks from certain… Read more »
Thank you John for injecting some common sense into the argument.
Seems obvious to me!
they are known criminals
But they’re nonetheless a legal entity.
Ironically, if they were ‘Palestinian Action’, the show organizers would have no option than to exclude them. It’s a strange world that we inhabit.
So former ‘pastor’ Richard Taylor, who has a documented record of using some very unchristian language, has pitched up in yet another party. Crikey he’s been in more parties than the late socialite Peter Stringfellow. And so much for that “one way journey” out of the UK Taylor wrote about on his social media last year….you just can’t believe anything that charlatan says.
Wise never to expect actual Christianity from protestant evangelicals. They’re roughly what the Taliban is among Muslims.
The Flint & Denbigh show have failed to carry out ANY due diligence on stall holders which shows the amateurish nature of their organisation. Legitimate stallholders should pull out before their reputation and credibility is tarnished by association.
The people of Wales need to urgently stamp out this creeping in of fascism. We can’t let our country be tainted like America and England.
Disgraceful response from the show organisers. They need to read a history book.
Bunch of fascist appeasers.
I have written to the Police & Crime Commissioner asking him to pull out. That would send a very strong message to the show and other stall holders.