Tommy Robinson Brexit March Delusion

[Update at end of post]

After a few days laying low, Stephen Yaxley Lennon, who styles himself Tommy Robinson, has returned to the fray, declaring that he will personally challenge Theresa May over her deal on Britain’s withdrawal from the EU. This is rather a big ask, but he has decided that there will be a march in London a week on Saturday.

“On the first of December, we need to march. We need to march against Theresa May. We need to march against the establishment. This is the biggest betrayal of a democratic vote this country’s ever seen … the great betrayal. Gerard Batten has agreed to be involved” he told his followers. So the UKIP leader is once again allying himself with Lennon.

And the rationale is straightforward: the march is intended to achieve two objectives, firstly to respond to the Peoples Vote march, which saw hundreds of thousands on the streets of London (and almost all well-behaved), and secondly to try and whip up the mob against the deal negotiated by the current Government, most likely without telling that mob what the deal actually entails (like, er, leaving the EU).

The news has dutifully been reported by far-right sympathisers Politicalite and Political UK, with the latter telling “A MAJOR PRO-BREXIT MARCH IS TO TAKE PLACE … To date, there have been no major Pro-Brexit marches, despite the blatant betrayal against Brexiteers carried out under Mrs May’s leadership … Last month we saw a reported ‘700,000’ pro-EU campaigners take to the capital and demand a so-called ‘peoples vote’”.

So what do they intend to do about it? “Since the end of the EU referendum, the Leave campaign has effectively stopped campaigning (huge mistake), whereas the Remain campaign has upped their pressure on the government and not took a moment’s rest to fight against Brexit … Tommy Robinson is going to change this … A major Brexit protest is in the works and under current plans will take place on Saturday 1st December”.

This is complete tosh. The Leave side most certainly has not stopped campaigning, as witness propaganda sites like Brexit Central and groups like Leave Means Leave. Both these groups have the ear of actual MPs - unlike Lennon and his pals, whose reach at present is restricted to UKIP MEPs and peers.

So what is on offer from Lennon and his pals? The Political UK post gives the game away: “I urge you all to get off the sofa and take to the streets, our voices must be heard. This deal must not get through Parliament … As the European Union are refusing to enter into further talks, I struggle to see how Brexit will result in a ‘no deal’ scenario once May’s deal is rejected”. They want the UK to crash out of the EU without a deal.

Never mind the hundreds of thousands of potential job losses and an 8% hit to the economy, those in their gated mansions with plenty of money coming in won’t suffer. But many of the mugs who Lennon is trying to involve in this stunt will be.

How many will actually turn up? Don’t expect the total to break five figures. Not when the Political UK post says hopefully “I hope Leave EU shares the event on their Facebook page – they have almost 1 million likes”. Also, Leave EU broke the law.

Stephen Lennon and his pals are beyond deluded. No change there, then.

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[UPDATE 1520 hours: Stephen Lennon has already had to change the day on which his protest takes place, telling his followers "I've had to change the date of the Brexit betrayal march, for multiple reasons ... One reason, there's an ex-armed forces protest in Manchester on the 1st, there's also a protest by ex-armed forces outside the Ministry of Defence on the 1st. Another reason, we want Lord Pearson to speak [why?] ... he's not available on the 1st".

There is more. "The vote in the House of Commons will be on the 10th of December ... the protest will be on Sunday the 9th, the day before their vote, which is why we need as many people as possible. This isn't a Tommy Robinson protest at all, this is the great betrayal protest".

Sadly, almost all MPs will be in their constituencies on the 9th, and so will not be in London, or at least the part of London where the protest will take place. Has Lennon not heard of a lobby event, or has he already been turned down on that front?

In any case, the vote is over withdrawal from the EU, and that's what he claims he wants. So what's his problem? Or is this yet another exercise in pointless grandstanding?

The answer there will be along the lines of, you might wish to say that. I can't possibly comment]