Reform UK is facing a schism over its approach to Tommy Robinson’s supporters, after two high-profile party figures said it was wrong to disavow those who went to a weekend rally backing the far-right leader.
Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform, said earlier this week the party “want nothing to do with” Robinson and “all of that lot”. Nigel Farage, the Reform leader, also said after the summer riots that he had never had anything to do with “the Tommy Robinsons and those who genuinely do stir up hatred”.
But two high-profile 2024 candidates, Howard Cox and Ben Habib, took a different position, saying those attending Saturday’s rally were some of Reform’s own people.
Thousands of supporters of Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, protested in central London on Saturday after he was remanded into custody by police. The far-right activist was jailed on Monday for 18 months for contempt of court for repeating false allegations against a Syrian refugee, in breach of an injunction.
After the sentencing, Cox, who stood as Reform’s London mayoral candidate and as a parliamentary candidate in Dover and Deal, said Robinson should not be in jail and Tice had been wrong to distance the party from those who attended the rally.
Speaking on Dan Wootton’s Outspoken show, Cox agreed with his host that Robinson should not be in jail and said he, too, was one of “that lot” – a reference to Tice’s comments. He added that Farage had told him Tice had gone “over the top” in his criticism.
“This week, unfortunately, Richard … said I want nothing to do with Tommy Robinson or his lot. It’s a bit sad because I’m a good friend of Richard and we are close but that was wrong … I am one of that lot. Nigel actually did contact me privately and he just simply said Richard went over the top,” Cox told Wootton.
He added: “I love him to death, but I think Richard has got to come out and clarify what he really meant. He was actually saying he was against thuggery and violence. Most of the people there, 99% of the people at all of these things, are just concerned about getting our country back.”
Habib, until recently the co-deputy leader of Reform, also stood up for those who had attended Saturday’s rally to support Robinson.
Speaking to Paul Thorpe, a watch dealer turned YouTuber and founder of a “patriotic movement” called Unite UK, Habib said: “Those of us who care about this country, who want to stand against the uniparty of the Tories and Labour, have to stick together. We are one group.
“I don’t know Tommy Robinson, I’m not going to venture an opinion on Tommy Robinson. But certainly, I’m not going to throw him under a bus. What I do know is the thousands, tens of thousands of people who congregated in Whitehall on Saturday, I know many people who told me they were there. They are our friends, they are Reform voters and we need to stand firmly behind them.”
Asked if there was a difference of opinion on Robinson supporters within Reform, Habib told the Guardian Farage “carries an interesting balancing act” as someone who appeared a “firebrand rightwinger” but who also had to “curry favour with the mainstream media”.
He added: “As far as I am aware there is no Reform UK policy on Tommy Robinson. And as far as Tommy Robinson is concerned, I do not know him. I will not condemn someone whom I do not know. Reform is in the business of garnering votes. Votes of all UK citizens are eligible as far as I am aware. There are no such things as Labour supporters or Tory supporters when it comes to seeking votes. Indeed, Reform’s strength is in attracting voters from across the political spectrum.
“The near 150,000 people who attended the rally at Whitehall last week were, I imagine, mainly British citizens. There were many from minority ethnic backgrounds, and flags from across the UK were being flown. I think I also saw a flag from Northern Ireland, a region close to my heart. I cannot make any case for rejecting the votes of these people, some of whom I knew.”
Cox told the Guardian he would “rather not comment any further”. Tice, approached for comment, said: “Free speech is a wonderful thing; we are so lucky.”
