Following the apparent chance meeting between Stephen Yaxley Lennon, who styles himself Tommy Robinson, and a group of young Army recruits at a motorway service station, where a video was recorded in which the recruits chanted the former EDL head man’s name approvingly, much has been made over the news that one of those recruits is to be discharged from the Army.
Now, Lennon has posted a recording of an officer in the Yorkshire Regiment putting what has to be assumed is a group of recruits straight about associating with Lennon, who claims to be a mere “Journalist” (ho ho ho) but is an infamous far-right activist with a history of violence, intimidation and other unlawful behaviour.
Lennon has introduced the recording thus: “British Army Major bullying and shutting down free speech within his ranks. This is Major Farley (He sounds female but is not) of the British Army passing on the message about me from the Head of the Army. All this to appease Islam! Political correctness is even destroying our Armed forces”.
It has nothing to do with free speech, nothing to do with Islam, and nothing to do with political correctness. And the smear isn’t making it. Here’s what the Major said.
“This is s pretty serious matter. The reason I’ve got you here is, it has come to light that [Redacted] has been in touch with Tommy Robinson. Anyone who does not know who Tommy Robinson is, he is the founder of the English Defence League, he is an extreme right wing activist. In light of pictures that were taken of some recruits at ITC at a service station with a Yorkshire Regiment cap badge surrounding him, Chief of General Staff has got involved. [Redacted] then took it upon himself to direct message him on Facebook”.
There was more. “Saying yeah, come down to [?] Barracks, come down and get a photo with me and my mates, to which Tommy Robinson says yeah, right, fine, I’ll be there, and he’s then put it all over Facebook”. Wasn’t just a “photo with a journalist”, was it?
Major Farley then puts his audience straight. “I will not be associated with people like that, and the problem is, wearing this kit, I am. And I take it as a personal affront to be associated with people like that. The only thing anyone is talking about in the Yorkshire Regiment is our association with the right wing”. Why was this a problem?
“We fight the Queen’s enemies all round the globe. We fight people who oppress other people’s freedom of speech and thought, because they’ve got a narrow minded view of what the world should look like. This [characterisation omitted], this is exactly what he [Lennon] does. This has got national ministerial attention”. And he wasn’t finished.
“So if you have anything to do with this, if you are part of the messenger group or follow him on Facebook, get yourself rid of it [if not, the authorities will] search Facebook and find out who you are. Do not share anything around this camp to do with this message. [Redacted] will not be in this camp for much longer. Anybody found dealing in the same sort of shit will follow him out. My advice to you is dissociate … [don’t] drag my name and my regiment and cap badge through the mire by associating with people like that”.
Zelo Street has seen evidence that there is indeed a Major of that name in the Yorkshire Regiment. Lennon clearly thinks he’s on a winner by publishing those comments. But anyone who knows the uniformed services will know otherwise. Consider why.
One, it wasn’t just “a photo with a journalist” that got one recruit discharged. There was, it seems, further communication between him and Lennon. Why someone who is so ready to call “liar” on others has not been totally honest, I will leave to others to figure out.
Two, it’s not about FREEZE PEACH™. Recruits are free to hold whatever opinions they like. What they are not free to do is to associate the Army with Stephen Lennon, a career criminal who is back in court later this month.
Three, the armed forces have only one loyalty, and as the Major shows, it is to the Crown. Showing loyalty to anyone else is expressly against Queen’s Regulations.
Four, the only thing Lennon has achieved through his latest campaign is to purge our armed forces of the far-right, and educate others to its danger.
So perhaps we should, for once, be grateful to him. I’ll just leave that one there.
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Apart from some fruity language which I'm sure the cadets are used to, there was nothing bullying about the officer's approach and manner. Emphatic yes. These lads need to learn discipline for their own and the countries sake. It's not a game and we citizens should feel confident our armed services are well trained and aware of who they are loyal to. That's quite apart from those who died during WW2 defending the country against Fascists.
ReplyDeleteRobinson is a meddling and mischievous fool and obviously doesn't give a stuff about who is hurt in his pathetic PR campaigns.
On the plus side, I'm sure there is now a hefty file on him in the security services.
How times have "changed":
ReplyDeletehttp://www.8bitmode.com/rogerdog/lobster/lobster11.pd
All a bit different, apparently, to the far right hysteria of the 1970s which eventually led to the Thatcher madness.
During that time an unattributed story went the rounds of a British Army general who was asked what he would do if asked to shoot the "royal" family.
The general stroked his chin and replied slowly, "It depends who asked me".
If true, I wonder if by some distant chance he was related to the US general Smedley Butler who exposed an internal fascist plot to take over the Washington government?
None of it can be true of course. This is Britain and we don't have fascists, oligarchs or far right politicians and propagandists. No sirree bob.
It is also quite possible that recording and publishing that recording of an Army officer, on an Army Base (as presumably this was) doing official Army business, could break the Official Secrets Act which all Army personal sign.
ReplyDeleteIt also used to be an offence - during the IRA days - to publish the name of a serving army officer, although that may no longer be the case even for a proper journo (not someone pretending to be one)
If the recruits thought he was angry during that... they are about to know what a whole world of extra hurt feels like for surreptitiously recording his dressing down and then giving it to Tommeh.
ReplyDeleteSomeone is going to have to fess up, or else everyone will be on a punishment beating until the individual is outed. Either that, or they will all get discharged.
When I saw the first blog entry with the photo my first thoughts were 'this wasn't a chance encounter'
ReplyDelete.
Seems I was correct.
It sounds like the fuss was nothing to do with army regulations after all but everything to do with the personal preferences of a far left, foul mouthed army major. It sounds like he’s heading for a court Marshall.
ReplyDeleteOMG he really has you frit!
ReplyDeleteThst’s a great speech by the officer there. Hear hear to him.
ReplyDeleteHaving worked with the army for many years (not in it, but providing services to it) that is exactly the attitude to the far right disease prevalent within officer ranks. He puts the dweeb Yaxley-Lennon right in his place. By Posting this he’s damaged himself. What a twonk.
what REALLY worries me here is not that there are far right elements in the army, I always assumed that. But that people who are allowed to handle dangerous weapons can be stupid enough to pose in uniform with convicted criminal Yaxley and think nothing will happen when the senior officers find out!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 22:49
ReplyDeleteUm... what?
Don't try harder. You sound very immature.