I little imagined that after posting my “Tommy Robinson is a hero” blog five days ago (see here) things would blow up the way they have, bringing together some seemingly unrelated interests.

I hope folk who want to read on will bear with me, especially my two detractor friends that have recently taken me to task for not backing up what I say with hard facts, and those who might be taken aback that I go for the proverbial jugular and not give sufficient context (although if they did care to check out my past 2000+ blogs they would find plenty of stuff there to back up what I am about to say).

I have gone on record to say that all of us are beholden to our often different personal axioms and prejudices (me included) and while truth and facts matter loads, especially when we have all the facts and the whole truth, which rarely is the case, including among those clever clog, agenda led media interviewers that can put down lesser and dissenting souls who know a lot less than they do.

Some of the reasons why I’m blogging today and blog generally arises out of my own personal journey that takes in political, religious and community interests and evolving views. I was brought up on a working class council estate as a boy and the idea was drummed into me that I should support Labour politically in solidarity with the “have nots”. Things changed when I went to university and entered the world of work when I realised things weren’t that black and white. I never became a convinced Tory though, coming to a view that free enterprise and drop down economics did not always deliver on behalf of the disadvantaged, although until recent years and latterly I voted Conservative  because of the esteem in which I held our local MP. In local elections, I vote for anyone from UKIP to Green based on who I thought was the best candidate. In this year’s general election, I knew the Conservatives had blown it but was far from convinced by Labour. I disliked LibDems and Greens over their wokeism and while sharing many of the concerns of Reform had reservations. Two parties I liked: Heritage and Confelicity didn’t stand a chance given our system, although in the end I voted Confelicity. Labour got in by a landslide, winning the two Southend seats for the first time, despite receiving less votes than in the last General Election.

If I hadn’t got religion as a youth, I might have become a lot more politically active rather than merely curious. My brand of religion discouraged political involvement and instead saw as its main mission to spread the word that we are sinners who need salvation and this can happen if we repent of our sins and turn to Christ. Even so, a lot of importance was attached to loving God and our neighbours and this brings me to my third interest – community. Community worker (or activist) was my third career leading up to retirement. During that time I engaged with people of many different political views, religious persuasions, sexual orientations and identities, people of all ethnicities and all this regardless of gender, age, disability or social class. In the main, I got on with everyone, especially when it became clear to all we were seeking the common good. Highlights included in the areas of mental health and homelessness and the people I worked with to effect improvement in all those areas were from ALL the groups I identified. The main glitch came later when I began to comment on what was happening in the world and what was needed to improve matters, when sometimes I got accused of being a far right conspiracy theorist,    

I mention all this because I wanted to weigh in with some of the important news of the hour, here in the UK for the change. I will label this Tommy Robinson (following on from my recent blog), the historical reality of rape gangs in many UK cities, dominated by Pakistani Muslim men, with crimes insufficiently investigated and woefully  unaddressed, related statements made by Keir Starmer, Nigel Farage and Elon Musk (to name but three) and ask where we go from here? I should add (as it is relevant) of the many highlights of my community activist career, working with Muslims and recent immigrants to the UK feature near the top, and many I highly regard and would want as my neighbour. I have also pondered in recent blogs that, contrary to what I sought to achieve in my community work and why I was happy to associate with those whose world views differed from my own, cohesion among disparate elements, I fear as things presently stand we are heading for the very opposite.  

Before reflecting on the subject of this post, I decided to watch the film (Silenced) (see here) which introduces itself “This documentary covers in many details the corruption of the UK judiciary system. Jamal Hijazi and his Family are RACIST Moralless Syrian’s that have been protected by our fake media outlets portraying him to be a victim all the while he is the aggressor who has hurt and bullied numerous people, many being girls and children a lot younger than he is. £157,000 has been raised for Jamal over his fake victimhood meanwhile his victims haven’t received a single penny and are scared for their lives and safety over numerous vile, disgustingly outrageous threats made to them by the Islamic community. It’s time you heard the TRUTH!”

It is not easy watching, indeed uncomfortable to watch and as is generally the case we have to take a view whether it is Tommy Robinson exposing something that should concern us or it is a fabrication of the truth. Sadly, it is not a subject that mainstream media covers from the point of view of trying to find out what is really going on despite pressures not to do so. I am inclined to believe what Tommy claimed but recognise that I cannot be 100% sure without knowing all the facts. Despite it being banned (or because of) millions have viewed it, including Elon Musk, who has taken Nigel Farage (whose Reform Party he had previously, publicly backed) to task for not only distancing himself from Tommy despite the two effectively sharing common concerns but has also vilified him, e.g. accusing him of abusing women (something that Tommy denies and has not been found guilty of). Tommy was found guilty of contempt of court by showing the film despite being told not to do so and he is currently serving his sentence for what has widely been seen as a political or at least a civil offence and doing so in solitary confinement in harsh, disproportionate to the offence conditions.

It should be added that the film was not about Muslim rape gangs per se but rather about a laissez faire officialdom where offenses perpetrated against girls and women, by Muslims of Pakistani heritage especially (here it was Syrian), have taken place and still do, and these were and are not pursued by those with the authority to do so for fear of accusations of Islamophobia and racism. There has also been instances of those who do want to speak out being deterred or shut up for/from doing so. While Labour have made their excuses in what amounts to weasel words and little or nothing to effectively investigate past crimes and ensure future safeguarding, it should be said neither did the Conservatives when in power and is good example why people are dissatisfied with the current political system. But Keir Starmer yet again (following his statements after the Southport riots) and supported by his cabinet colleagues and the Whip that tries to keep Labour backbenchers in tow, is trying to make the case the real problem is the far right for making a fuss over an issue involving Muslims and thereby threatening community cohesion. Moreover, Nigel Farage, while rightly pointing out some of those aforementioned concerns that so far remain largely unaddressed, has not helped his cause by attacking Tommy and thereby alienating those who believe he has been a victim of a miscarriage of justice and might have wanted to join with Reform.

I pointed out previously, e.g. in the wake of the Southport riots, that the UK is at a point of cultural crisis and crossroads. In treating all cultures as of equal merit and by doing so reject traditional British culture, notwithstanding its faults, ditching once taken for granted Christian beliefs, allowing alien cultures to dictate on how we should live, it has lost its way and abused children throughout the country suffer with ordinary, often working class, people who speak out being branded and demonised as far right extremists. The danger is they will only take so much and of an uprising, sometimes provoked by those who really are far right. This is made more likely because of feelings of betrayal by our institutions and elected representatives who are beholden to political correctness. Others, however, have been persuaded to subscribe to the equality and diversity agenda that is being pushed by our elites, even seeing Tommy and his “far right, racist” supporters at the enemy. Along with the silent majority, who don’t know, don’t care or don’t want to get involved, they are happy to accept the status quo, thus making civil war even more a strong possibility. None of this bodes well for the future, especially if the country continues along the trajectory it is heading, spurred on by the Unholy Trinity of politicians, media and elites.

The best I can do as a faithful “gospel preaching, community activist, watchman on the wall” is to state squarely and warn folk concerning what I am seeing, be in the words of St. Francis “a channel of Thy peace“, and hope that somehow communities will come together in ways I have seen and worked toward, irrespective of peoples’ beliefs, doing so peaceably, based on truth, righteousness and justice. While the void arising from abandoning our (the UK’s) Judaeo-Christian heritage needs to be filled somehow, we are now seeing it being filled by dodgy ideologies, and this is why doing “gospel preaching” is also very important and therein lies my own mission and my contribution in addressing this clash of ideologies.