Britain’s splintered far-right is trying to revive itself. They are doing this by exploiting the shock and outrage at the murder of three young girls in Southport in the past few days. Additionally, in many cases, these groups have been at odds with each other over issues such as Israel. In addition, they also disagreed with each other over Russia’s attack on Ukraine. One of these people is Daniel Thomas, who will be discussed in this article. Therefore, we focus on this question: Who is Daniel Thomas from the EDL?
The increase in extreme right-wing violence in the UK in recent weeks
The far-right has left behind more traditional party political structures. In other words, it has become what some commentators describe as post-establishment. These groups, individuals, and influencers spread misinformation on many social media platforms. Consequently, this false information sometimes leads to violence and conflict. While they act and demand British reforms on another level, its leader, Nigel Farage, and other MPs have also been accused of fueling online conspiracy theories about Southport. Farage said he was asking legitimate questions about the Southport tragedy.
Tommy Robinson is Britain’s most prominent far-right activist
Britain’s most prominent far-right activist is currently in Cyprus. He is among the people wanted by the police for their role in spreading false information. Tommy Robinson’s real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon. He first came to prominence in 2009 as the English Defense League (EDL) leader. However, the EDL is now defunct. They are an Islamophobic street movement around which gangs of football hooligans coalesce.
Who is Daniel Thomas from the EDL?
The question of our concern is ‘who is Daniel Thomas from the EDL?’ The answer to this question reveals a lot about the recent far-right insurgencies. Hours after the frenzied attack on a group of children and their teacher at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, Daniel Thomas made a video for his thousands of followers. He is often credited as the right-hand man of English Defense League (EDL) founder Tommy Robinson. “Get ready! We are making plans!”
The EDL’s role in recent UK far-right movements
The EDL split into groups at that time, such as the Yorkshire Patriots. Nevertheless, today, the bonds and connections formed during that time continue to provide foot soldiers in the events that Robinson promotes. The lieutenants include people like Daniel Thomas, who once went to prison for attempted armed kidnapping. Therefore, we can answer the question, who is Daniel Thomas from the EDL? A Knife killer and criminal who seeks to disrupt public order. He posted a video on Twitter, urging followers to “get ready.”
Inviting riots through online broadcasting
As racist riots rock towns and cities across Britain. However, the man who first went online to thousands to call for riots is narrowly avoiding prosecution and jail. It was Tommy Robinson’s right-hand man and former bodyguard, Daniel Thomas. He began broadcasting to tens of thousands of people online just after the Southport murders. It was a call to action that is now having dire consequences in communities across the country.
Daniel Thomas’s role in far-right insurgencies
The uploader has now removed Daniel Thomas’s original YouTube video. BBC Verify attempted to establish where the first call for riots came from. This media tried to find out who is Daniel Thomas from the EDL? They concluded it was an anonymous Twitter account called “Lord Simon”. Besides, they described him as “an influencer associated with Yaxley-Lennon”. Had they looked more closely, they probably would have noticed that the video in question uploaded to that account was Daniel Thomas’s original YouTube video. Yes, he was the one who first called for the rebellion.
EDL supporters behind the Southport riots
In a statement, Merseyside Police said they believe anti-Islamic EDL supporters are behind the disorder in Southport. A dedicated Telegram channel was reportedly set up after the dance troupe’s attack, with members given time to gather outside the mosque with the message “English children get up” and instructions for people to cover their faces. Moreover, the next day, Thomas returned with another live broadcast. Nevertheless, he did not comment on the violence that had taken place in Southport. Instead, he called for more nationwide action.
Keir Starmer’s warning to far-right rebels
The Prime Minister warned the rioters and the social media companies where rioters plan and organise many of their events. These thugs are mobile. Keir Starmer said, “They move from community to community. We must have a policing response that can do the same.” He responded by saying we need to have discussions about companies striking the “right balance” and warned that social media “carries great responsibility.”
The power of extremist rebels will Increase, if not suppressed.
We examined the question ‘who is Daniel Thomas from the EDL?’ However, a more important issue is the role of the extreme right in recent riots. During the past months, extreme right-wing movements in England increased. Wherever they could, they destroyed the cities and made them lawless. The Police tried to arrest and imprison the rebels. If these people are free, the security of citizens, primarily ethnic and religious minorities, will be in danger. However, they have already caused insecurity and increased Islamophobia. If Starmer wants people to trust him, he must stand up to the chaos of people like Daniel Thomas and legally deal with them.
