Brexit Party: Senior official defended ‘persecuted’ Tommy Robinson and mocked Islamophobia

A senior official in Nigel Farage’s new party defended the “persecuted” Tommy Robinson and mocked the concept of Islamophobia.

Noel Matthews, the Brexit Party’s national election agent, posted an article sympathetic to the far-right former English Defence League leader, writing: “THIS. Tommy Robinson Drew Attention to Grooming Gangs. Britain Has Persecuted Him.”

He has also praised a rally organised by Robinson at the BBC, saying: “Tommy’s no politician but it looks like he has the BBC bang to rights. His rally is about corrupt media. It’s not about racism or fascism.”

The former Ukip candidate has written that “Islamophobia is a silly, made up word” and tweeted: “Is it Islamaphobia or Islamophobia? I missed it when that word was made up”.

The past statements, uncovered by BuzzFeed, undermine Mr Farage’s efforts to distance himself from Ukip and what he has called his former party’s “fixation” with Robinson and Islam.

Poised to win the European elections, according to the polls, Mr Farage has also insisted that his new party is “deeply intolerant of all intolerance”.

Tell MAMA, the Islamophobia monitoring group, condemned Mr Matthews. Its director Iman Atta said: “The comments from the lead officer and activist of the Brexit Party show a sympathy for Tommy Robinson as though he is being persecuted

“He has door-stepped members of the public, instigated mobbing-type activity online against individuals who call out his anti-Muslim and anti-Islamic slant and led demonstrations that have caused tensions in communities.

“This support does not bode well for how the Brexit Party is portrayed and people need to think carefully when they vote about what they are voting for when such individuals promoting divisive messages are involved.”

A spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Britain called on action to be taken, saying: “We welcome the Brexit Party’s bold claim to be ‘deeply intolerant of intolerance’.

“With these latest revelations of bigotry, that party must now demonstrate these words in deeds. Otherwise there will be no difference between it and the UK Independence Party that trades in hatred against Muslims.”

A Brexit Party spokesperson argued Mr Matthews’ previous comments came before he switched to the party, saying: “The Brexit Party does not condone or endorse any of these views.

“Noel Matthews was tweeting in a personal capacity before his involvement in the Brexit Party. His views do not represent those of the party or its leader.”

His description of Islamophobia as “a silly, made up word” came in 2017, when he also said: “Poor old islamophobia. Used to be the best excuse for closing down the debate until those others came along.”

In a 2018 post, he said Islamophobia was “criticism of special treatment for those with religious conviction”.

Following the neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville at which a counter-protester was murdered, Matthews endorsed remarks by Donald Trump that both sides were to blame, writing: “He’s right.”