Tommy Robinson - Get The Nanoviolin

And so it came to pass that those in charge of Twitter decided they would actually do something about those who use the social media platform for what is classed as hate speech. To this end, several well-known figures have woken up today to find that their prized blue tick, the symbol of Twitter verification, had vanished. As a result, there has been much of the proverbial wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Stephen Yaxley Lennon aka Tommy Robinson

Those losing the blue tick include Richard Spencer, well known white supremacist and believed to be a real neo-Nazi. The man who organised the Charlottesville, VA white supremacist protest lost his too. Also taking the hit was Laura Loomer, whose determination not to accept a Muslim Uber driver led to her being banned by the driver and rider matching service. She was then also banned by Uber competitor Lyft.

So today, exhibitions of Olbermann’s Dictum - “The right exists in a perpetual state of victimhood” - have been in evidence across the USA. And these have extended to the UK, as Stephen Yaxley Lennon, who styles himself Tommy Robinson, has lost his blue tick too. This has provided excellent spectator sport as Lennon, clearly unaware of the glaringly obvious reason for his disqualification, has taken the news very badly.

Publishing Twitter’s notification to him, which confirmed that the blue tick would be “permanently removed”, Lennon told ominously “& so it begins”. What begins was not told. But his followers knew that he had been wronged. “Tommy had his verification taken away because he has a different opinion to the the globalist elite. Open our eyes people, we will not be silenced” told one, unaware that no-one had been silenced.

Another claimed “This is poor form by twitter. He’s a well-known public figure, should clearly be verified. Political correctness”. They were wrong too. And one enterprising individual sold the pass in no style at all with “Another act of punishing & attempting to silence anyone that even dares to speak the truth. What a wank world we live in”. None of them got it. So let me put these people out of their collective misery.

Twitter can remove the blue tick for behaviours that occur on their platform - this happened to appalling man-baby Milo Yiannopoulos, before he was kicked off altogether. It can also be removed for behaviours that occur off the platform. Lennon has recently abused peoples’ privacy, been found in contempt of court, and only the other week lost a man his job by constantly harassing him at his workplace.

And on top of all that, there is one thing that disqualifies Stephen Yaxley Lennon from having a Twitter blue tick: all the time he had that tick, he was using a false name. That is an instant disqualification from having a blue tick. Nothing to do with being censored. Nothing to do with speaking truth, lies, or anything in between. Nothing to do with Islam. Nothing to do with the Global Elite. Or George Soros. It’s his own fault.

[Zelo Street did not make any representation to Twitter to have Lennon’s blue tick removed. Because I’m not about to sink to his level. Hint]