Disappointment with the government is “not a reason to embrace a convicted criminal with what I see as very, very dangerous views’
Former Tory MP, writer and broadcaster Rory Stewart has taken apart the arguments of far-right thug Tommy Robinson, after the pair clashed on X.
Robinson, a former member of the racist BNP and founder of the English Defence League, has been busy organising and attending far-right protests after his release from prison.
Amid an alarming increase in support for the far-right, along with Tory and Reform MPs pushing bigoted and xenophobic views, Stewart warned that no matter how angry people feel with the political system, that was no reason to go with the likes of Robinson.
He told BBC Newsnight: “I think there are some very good reasons for people to be angry, I think Britain feels broken to a lot of people, but I also feel that isn’t a reason to go with Tommy Robinson.”
He said that disappointment with the government was “not a reason to embrace a convicted criminal with what I see as very, very dangerous views.”
Stewart added: “This isn’t the solution, going for this more and more extreme and increasingly people getting impatient with the rule of law, getting impatient with anybody talking about process, anybody talking about doing things properly, everybody wants instant answers and if you push for instant answers you end up with something that becomes like fascism, because it becomes about power.”
The co-host of the Rest is Politics podcast then highlighted similarities with Trump and his contempt for the rule of law and Congress and warned against the dangers of such politics.
His clip was then posted by Robinson, who accused Stewart of being a ‘weak man for hard times’ as well as going on a tirade accusing him of being an ‘apologist for backward Islam, a proponent of the nonsense word ‘Islamophobia’, an extremely weak man, ideologically, academically, politically, spiritually and physically”.
Stewart replied: “don’t know, Tommy. I’m honoured at your concern for my failing IQ, and spiritual strength. And you can definitely do more press ups than me. But you seem to have posted a clip of me saying precisely none of things that you claim…”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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