The sanitisation of a far-right influencer

On Saturday, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon—better known as Tommy Robinson—will host what he calls "the biggest patriotic gathering the country has ever seen" on the streets of London. The rally caps a remarkable year for the far-right activist. Live-streaming from his car in San Diego, he recently described the previous twelve months: "I was on solitary confinement this time last year. I've come out, we've had a million on the streets, I'm here meeting highest-ranking members of government, we're spreading our message, we're forming partnerships and friendships."

Robinson had been in prison for contempt of court after repeatedly libelling a Syrian schoolboy. The claim of a million people on the streets refers to a London rally last September, though police put the figure at 150,000. At that event, he beamed Elon Musk onto two giant screens. Despite a long criminal record, Robinson entered America with a State Department waiver, spent time with congressmen, and did the podcast rounds warning Americans about radical Islam, which he says has destroyed Britain.

A case study in changing political influence