How the Far Right Got its Name

"Leading it will be Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, the oft-described combative Luton-born, anti-Islam activist who has long rejected the label far right. He frames himself instead as a defender of free speech and as a patriot. Robinson's supporters have turned the denial into a rallying cry of their own, often carrying banners that say We're not far right, just right."

"But academics who have spent years studying the anatomy of far-right movements and organisations like HOPE not hate - which track the far right closely - tell a different story. Their argument is not simply about Robinson; it is about the term itself, because far right is not a precise classification. Its meaning shifts depending on who uses it, and that ambiguity is something individuals like Robinson have learned to exploit."

"Understanding the label before one uses it is important, experts say. Applying it loosely to moderate views risks sanitising the far right. And when actors who do meet the scholarly definition successfully reject the label, their politics can appear more palatable than they should."

Tens of thousands of anti-immigration protesters are expected to march through London under the banner Unite the Kingdom. Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, leads the event and presents himself as a defender of free speech and a patriot while rejecting the far-right label. Supporters echo this framing with slogans such as “We’re not far right, just right.” Academics studying far-right movements argue that “far right” is not a precise classification and that its meaning shifts depending on who uses it. They warn that applying the label loosely can sanitize far-right politics, while successful rejection of the label can make extremist positions appear more acceptable. The modern use of “far right” is also tied to deeper European political history.

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