Singer-songwriter who has spent most of his life fighting against homophobia and racism says it is ‘absurd’ the far-right is using his song
Tommy Robinson has been accused of theft after using an anti-apartheid song at his far-right Unite the Kingdom rally without authorisation.
Singer-songwriter Labi Siffre has written a cease and desist letter to Robinson telling him to stop using his hit song (Something Inside) So Strong and has accused him of theft.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, invited former X factor contestant Charlie Heaney to perform the song at his rally.
The far-right activist also incorporated the song into his social media posts, and posted quotes of the lyrics in August ahead of the protest.
Robinson also posted lyrics from the song on his social media last July while he was on the run ahead of his contempt of court hearing.
Siffre, who has spent most of his life addressing homophobia and racism, said it was “absurd” that the far-right is using his song.
“Anybody who knows me and knows my work since 1970 will know the joke of them using the work of a positive atheist, homosexual black artist as apparently representative of their movement,” Siffre said in an interview with the Guardian.
Siffre’s song was inspired by a documentary about apartheid-era South Africa, and was widely reported to be Nelson Mandela’s favourite song.
At Robinson’s rally earlier this month, he said of the song: “I always like telling stories through music and this next song now is going to tell all of our stories of why we’re here and why we care.”
“They’re breaking all sorts of copyrights,” Siffre told the Guardian, “Even in an era when theft is easier than it ever was, it’s still theft.”
Siffre also said he has received numerous messages of thanks from Robinson’s supporters on X, congratulating him for backing the movement. He said he hasn’t responded to the messages, adding: “What can you do?”.
The 80-year-old singer-songwriter also expressed frustration at the media’s portrayal of the far-right movement as “unprecedented”.
He spoke about seeing “No Black, No Irish, no dogs” signs when he was a child, indicating that little has changed over the decades.
“They are not creative people. It’s just same old, same old,” Siffre said. “I wish the media would stop talking about this as an unprecedented movement. There’s nothing unprecedented about it. Anyone who has even the slightest knowledge of 20th-century history should know that.”
He also made clear that Robinson’s movement is global and backed by the American right. “Trump and Maga are at the head of it, as the relationship with Elon Musk made clear [Musk appeared via video link at the London rally],” Siffre said.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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