Could Tommy Robinson legally attend Scotland rally and what laws exist to stop him promoting misinformation

The English Defence League (EDL) founder, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has posted online about the so-called “pro-UK” rally earmarked for the city’s George Square next month, adding “the British are rising”. While he is currently at a resort in Cyprus, there are fears that Yaxley-Lennon’s presence at the event, if it goes ahead, could spark disorder.

Susan Aitken, the leader of Glasgow City Council, has already made it clear the anti-Islamist activist is not welcome in the city, writing on X: “Glasgow City Council has received no notification of any rally, but then we know Tommy Robinson and his ilk don’t really care about respecting laws or public places.

She added: “He’s not welcome in Glasgow and neither is anyone who chooses to align with his poisonous rhetoric.”

There is no requirement for groups to notify Glasgow City Council of rallies or static protests, as would be the case for a public procession. But any group seeking to stage an event at George Square would be expected to seek permission to use the space.

Police Scotland, meanwhile, is in constant contact with other forces across the UK, with justice secretary Angela Constance and First Minister John Swinney also in touch with the force’s Chief Constable Jo Farrell.

What is less clear is whether Yaxley-Lennon would be allowed to attend the event, planned for September 7, given his posts about the riots in England on social media. The 41 year-old has been providing commentary on the ugly scenes, calling for “mass deportations” and claiming the protesters had “legitimate concerns”.

Such comments have sparked growing calls for authorities to respond, with the Hope Not Hate group warning Yaxley-Lennon’s social media was “playing a really important role in these far-right demos”. The Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) claimed Yaxley-Lennon was “fanning the flames of violence” in the UK.

Asked on Monday whether the UK government would take action against Yaxley-Lennon, who has been accused of stoking the tensions across England from afar, home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “If it’s a crime offline, it’s a crime online. You can’t just have the armchair thuggery or the people being able to incite and organise violence and also not face consequences for this.”

On July 29, a High Court judge issued an arrest warrant for Yaxley-Lennon after he left the country on the eve of a hearing into an alleged breach of a court order not to repeat lies about a Syrian refugee.

Yaxley-Lennon has previously been convicted of a string of other offences, including assault, mortgage fraud, threatening behaviour and possession of drugs, and has been accused of making a documentary, Silenced, which repeats false claims he made about teenager, Jamal Hijazi. In that case, the Syrian won £100,000 in damages after being falsely accused by Yaxley-Lennon of being a violent thug, claims which also spread across social media networks. 

Yaxley-Lennon left the UK by a Eurotunnel train late on July 28, despite having been stopped at Folkestone by Kent Police under counter-terrorism powers. When he allegedly refused to co-operate, he was arrested and held until 10pm, before being released on unconditional bail, and leaving the country.  

In response, Mr Justice Johnson Issued an arrest warrant. However, he ordered the warrant not to be carried out until “early October” to give Yaxley-Lennon time to confirm he would attend the next hearing voluntarily. 

Adam Payter, representing the solicitor general, told the hearing that on July 27, Yaxley-Lennon had been part of a “large demonstration” in central London on Saturday, which featured the showing of a film that was “central to this application” and showed a “flagrant” and “admitted” breach of the court order.

In theory, Yaxley-Lennon’s status as a British national means he could legally re-enter the UK, including into Scotland, between now and October, meaning he could theoretically attend a rally north of the Border. But in the wake of growing criticism around his online activity, pressure is mounting on police and the UK government to take decisive action.

In the midst of the violent riots seen across England, there has also been renewed scrutiny of what more needs to be done to curb the spread of disinformation online. 

Yaxley-Lennon was among those to promote a rumour that three people had been stabbed in Stirling on Saturday by an attacker who appeared to be Muslim. In reality, a 29 year-old white male has been charged in relation to the attack, in which a 21 year-old woman suffered a “non-life threatening” life injury.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has warned social media companies they must uphold laws that prohibit the incitement of violence online after misinformation around the fatal mass stabbing in Southport sparked the widespread violence, looting, and vandalism.

Last week, he addressed large social media companies and “those who run them” directly during a news conference, telling them: “Violent disorder clearly whipped up online - that is also a crime. It's happening on your premises, and the law must be upheld everywhere.”

Under the Online Safety Act, social media companies have been required to introduce new protections for child safety, and take steps to prevent and quickly remove illegal content like terrorism propaganda and revenge porn. However, the legislation is less clear about how companies must deal with the kind misinformation and disinformation that have contributed to the ongoing unrest. 

Added to that, there are mounting concerns over the moderation processes of some major social media networks, such as X. Since the firm was taken over by Elon Musk, it has drastically altered the way in which it moderates false and hateful content, sacking numerous employees tasked with some work, and introducing measures like community notes, where users essentially fact-check posts by others.