, updated
Nigel Farage refused to back down yesterday after he was accused of ‘whipping up’ rioters with comments on the Southport stabbings.
The Reform leader was branded ‘Tommy Robinson in a suit’ after he questioned ‘whether the truth is being withheld from us’ about the attack in a social media video and amplified false information swirling online.
The backlash came after a protest outside a Southport mosque turned violent following fake reports, pushed by Russian-linked websites and known agigators, that the triple murder suspect is an asylum seeker on the radar of the security services.
Police said far-right English Defence League (EDL) supporters travelled to the area to take part in the demonstration.