A new poll suggests that a majority of Britons hold far-right grifter Tommy Robinson and controversial politician Nigel Farage responsible for recent violent riots seen in the UK.
According to the survey by Savanta, reported by HuffPost, 54% of respondents believe Tommy Robinson, former leader of the far-right English Defence League, is to blame for the unrest.
Close behind, 51% attribute fault to Farage. The Reform MP faced backlash for spreading misinformation on social media, which he later admitted was false. In another video, he condemned the violence but added that perceived ‘two-tier policing’ was stoking public unrest.
Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), is also heavily implicated, with 44% of those polled implicating the billionaire. The poll also found that 40% of respondents held Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer partially responsible for the unrest.
The riots resulted in over 1,000 arrests and hundreds of criminal charges being filed.
Despite allegations of ‘two-tier policing’, the poll of 2,237 people carried out between August 9 and 11, showed that 64% of those surveyed believe the police handled the riots effectively.
Far-right and social media to blame
The poll revealed broader insights into public perception of the riots. 82% held the rioters primarily responsible for the unrest. Far-right organisations were blamed by 70% of those surveyed, while 73% pointed to social media companies.
The UK’s migration policy was seen as a factor by 64% of respondents, and 59% cited the killings in Southport as a critical trigger.
When it comes to preventing future incidents, 37% of respondents advocated harsh penalties for violent protesters. And 30% suggested that addressing public concerns about migration is crucial. Only 10% of those polled believe that addressing social inequality would effectively prevent future outbreaks of violence.
Chris Hopkins, Savanta’s political research director, told HuffPost UK: “Contrary to online talking points, the country is broadly more likely to say Keir Starmer did well in managing the situation than not.
“Our research probably makes grimmer reading for Nigel Farage, who is only behind former EDL leader Tommy Robinson in being seen as ‘responsible’ for the violent protests.
“The public thinks that swift justice for violent protesters is the best way to stop them happening again – a course of action being followed by the government. The next thing they think needs to happen is public concerns about immigration being addressed.”
