Putin's Allies: Farage, Hopkins and Romanian Tate

Nigel Farage, Andrew Tate, and Katie Hopkins’s pro-Putin rhetoric and inflammatory statements align with Russian disinformation tactics, contributing to societal division and destabilisation in the UK

In the aftermath of a tragic knife attack at a children's dance class in Southport, the United Kingdom has been engulfed in violent anti-immigration riots. These riots, fuelled by false information disseminated on social media, have spread across towns and cities, leading to over 90 arrests and widespread chaos. This article delves into the origins of the riots, the key influencers who propagated misinformation, the responses from political figures, and the broader geopolitical implications, including potential links to Russian interference.

The unrest began with a post by controversial figure Andrew Tate on July 29, which falsely claimed: "ILLEGAL MIGRANT STABS 6 LITTLE GIRLS. WAKE UP." This inflammatory statement quickly went viral, garnering millions of impressions and igniting anger and fear. Despite prompt corrections that the suspect was a 17-year-old born in Cardiff of Rwandan heritage, the damage was done. Tate's post had already catalysed a wave of xenophobic and Islamophobic …