Robert Jenrick on Tommy Robinson

Robert Jenrick has expressed alignment with figures and campaigns associated with Tommy Robinson, notably by endorsing a flag-raising initiative called Operation Raise the Colours. This campaign was revealed by monitoring group Hope not Hate to be substantially organised by long-time allies of Robinson, including his former bodyguard who had prior convictions for violent affray. The politician promoted the campaign on social media, urging people to raise Union Jacks in defiance of councils, framing it as a patriotic stance.

This public association represents a significant rightward shift for the politician, who was previously described as using the language of Tommy Robinson when making controversial social media comments regarding 'alien cultures' and 'medieval attitudes'. Following these earlier comments, one commentator advised his then-party leader to sack him, suggesting the politician's rhetoric was dangerously similar to that used by the controversial figure. The endorsement of the flag campaign suggests an ongoing, though perhaps indirect, connection to the fringes associated with Robinson.