Reform MP Rupert Lowe has been touted by Elon Musk as a replacement for Nigel Farage as leader of Reform UK – following a rift over Musk’s support for Tommy Robinson
Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe defended far-right thug Tommy Robinson, saying he deserves “to be given the credit for the things he’s done right”.
Mr Lowe has been touted by Elon Musk as a replacement for Nigel Farage as leader of Reform UK – following a rift over Musk’s support for Robinson. Last month, Musk said Mr Farage “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead the party – and praised Mr Lowe, going on to retweet him frequently.
And today comments in an interview with the Sun’s Never Mind the Ballots YouTube show, Mr Lowe defended Robinson, saying: “I say he’s not right for Reform, he doesn’t want to be right for Reform, but he doesn’t deserve not to be given the credit for the things that he’s done.”
Asked about Musk’s false claim that Robinson is a “political prisoner” who has been locked up for speaking out on grooming gangs, Mr Lowe poured fuel on the conspiracy theory. “I don’t know what he’s done and why he’s in prison,” he claimed.
“I hope while he’s in prison he’s being treated like every other prisoner. I gather he’s in solitary confinement. I don’t know the ins and outs of that. I don’t know whether it’s right that he’s in solitary confinement.”
Robinson is in prison for repeated and defamatory lies about a victim of assault. He released a video making the false claims online, which was seen by more than a million people – leading to the victim, a schoolboy, receiving death threats.
The far-right provocateur initially admitted the allegations were false, but later defended them in court – where he was ordered to pay the victim £100,000 and court costs – and to refrain from repeating the allegations. But after the court case, Robinson – whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – repeated the lies, not least in a feature length film he released online.
He admitted in court that he had repeated the defamatory claims, and in doing so was in contempt of court. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison, which is well within the sentencing guidelines for contempt.
Robinson’s imprisonment has nothing to do with grooming gangs. However in 2018, he almost collapsed the trial of the largest gang ever convicted for the sexual abuse of children, after repeatedly live streaming the case from outside Leeds Crown Court.
Robinson’s video broadcast violated blanket reporting restrictions imposed by Judge Geoffrey Marson QC to prevent defendants claiming juries had been prejudiced against them. He was arrested outside the court after he refused to stop filming and was jailed for 13 months for contempt, but the sentence was overturned on appeal.