On the same weekend that saw ugly scenes in Dover and Portsmouth – as members of the far-right vigilante unit Patriot Platform blocked access to the former before trying to stop migrants leaving the latter – Reform UK’s conference brochure contained an advertisement for a concerning app.
The ad, for an app called ‘SmallBoatWatch’, offered the opportunity to “Track Britain’s Small Boat Crossings”, before demanding: “Download Now”.
Strangely, HOPE not hate has not been able to find any evidence of this app actually existing. But it is nevertheless concerning that Reform was happy to run an ad enticing its members to download software which would only encourage and enable scenes similar to those caused by far-right agitator and convicted criminal Daniel Thomas (aka Danny Tommo) and his Patriot Platform vigilantes this weekend.
On Saturday, 5 September, black-clad, balaclava wearing members of Patriot Platform blockaded roads in Dover, marched through the streets changing “stop the boats”, and sprayed graffiti (reading, “Blood is on your hands”) on a facility used to process incoming asylum seekers.
The following day members of the same group travelled to Portsmouth, where there was another major anti-migrant protest, triggered by the arrival of a dinghy carrying asylum seekers into the harbour. In ugly scenes that continued until 3am, hundreds emerged onto the street and blocked coaches transporting the migrants.
Reform’s response to this anti-migrant vigilantism over the weekend was inconsistent, with its politicians tending to condemn the scenes in Dover while defending those in Portsmouth.
“We don’t like people blockading things,” was Reform Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick’s response to the Dover protest, while Nigel Farage was even more forthright, commenting: “Disgusting. Nobody, at any political protest, whether they’re on the left or right, should be wearing balaclavas. It is wrong, it’s horrible.”
In contrast, however, Reform politicians presented the Portsmouth protest as justifiable, drawing a false distinction with the events in Dover.
“People in Portsmouth are angry, scared and feel like this government is actively trying to destroy the county,” declared Reform’s level-headed education spokesperson Suella Braverman, who added: “Enough is enough.” Deputy leader Richard Tice, meanwhile, described the Portsmouth demo as “a genuine, very frustrated group of people saying enough is enough”.
Zia Yusuf, Reform’s increasingly extreme home affairs spokesperson, quickly travelled to Portsmouth, where he tried to calm things down by declaring that “the people of Portsmouth are now on the front line of the invasion”.
Reform appear torn between placating their base and wanting to appeal to more moderate voters. Whether they’ll decide which way to go or will continue to flip flop between the two remains to be seen.
Prefer to listen? Click the play button to hear the audio version. Harry Shukman Reform UK is staffed by oddballs and enigmas, but none odder…
