Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced that "far-right agitators" will be prevented from entering the United Kingdom to attend a demonstration led by Tommy Robinson scheduled for Saturday. The event, known as Unite the Kingdom, is expected to draw over 100,000 participants to central London, prompting a significant police presence.
In a speech delivered on Monday, Sir Keir described the rally as "designed to confront and intimidate this diverse country." He emphasized that the Labour government would take decisive action, stating, "That is why this Labour Government will block far-right agitators from travelling to Britain." The Home Secretary possesses the authority to revoke an individual's permission to enter or remain in the UK, and it is understood that seven people have already been barred from entering the country specifically for this march.
This move follows the recent exclusion of anti-Islam influencer Valentina Gomez by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, after backlash from MPs and campaign groups. Gomez, a US-based personality known for controversial stunts such as burning a copy of the Koran, had threatened to defy the ban by arriving via small boat and suggested that the Trump administration would intervene to prevent her arrest. She was scheduled to speak at the rally, having attended a previous protest in September.
Last week, right-wing US figure Joey Mannarino also reported being blocked from entry, citing notification that his presence would not be conducive to the public good—the same justification used previously to ban rapper Kanye West.
The Metropolitan Police will impose conditions on the Unite the Kingdom event, which coincides with a pro-Palestine demonstration marking Nakba Day on the same date. Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has expressed concern about the scale of the protests, noting that his force is "looking hard at what conditions and powers we should use."
The previous Unite the Kingdom protest attracted between 110,000 and 150,000 attendees.
