Pauline Hanson seen being interviewed by controversial UK anti-Islam agitator
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has been seen meeting with Tommy Robinson, the controversial British anti-Islam agitator and convicted criminal who has previously been labelled as a “far-right thug” by leading conservatives in the UK.
Taking to social media early on Thursday morning (Australian time), Robinson posted a picture of the two and said he would release a podcast of the pair’s discussion.
Pauline Hanson and Tommy Robinson. Tommy Robinson/X
“Fearless, relentless, consistent, fighting for the Australian people and hopefully the next leader of her nation,” Robinson wrote.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, is the founder of the British Defence League – an anti-Islam organisation that is now largely defunct.
He has twice been denied an Australian visa and has a number of criminal convictions, including for assault, drug possession, and travelling to the United States using someone else’s passport.
He has previously been labelled a “far-right thug” by leading UK conservative figures including former prime minister Boris Johnson and Reform leader Nigel Farage.
The meeting between Robinson and Hanson comes as the One Nation leader faces scrutiny over her views on multiculturalism, having described it as a failed policy and saying Australia should be a monocultural society at her first-ever Press Club appearance.
Those comments received heavy criticism, including from the Socceroos, which Hanson had espoused as an example of monocultural Australia.
Following them, One Nation has experienced its first slide in the polls since its remarkable surge from minor party to potential opposition this year.
Hanson, who is currently on a two-week political tour of the UK to attend conservative conference CPAC Great Britain, is yet to address her chat with Robinson.
She has appeared in several other sit-down podcast interviews with Australian media organisations in recent months.
One Nation has suffered a dip in opinion polls in recent weeks. Getty Images
Robinson hit the headlines last month after he was invited on former Today show host Karl Stefanovic’s independent podcast, setting off a chain of events that led the veteran TV host to part ways with Nine.
Nine Entertainment is the publisher of this website.
Stefanovic formally left the Nine network with immediate effect on June 26, after he hosted the controversial British far-right figure and anti-Islam agitator on his independent podcast.
Nine released a statement shortly after the announcement.
“Nine Entertainment and Karl Stefanovic have agreed that it is no longer possible for him to continue hosting Today at the same time as his independent podcast,” the statement read.
“While Karl and Nine had previously agreed he would leave Today at the end of this year, they have subsequently decided he will leave the network immediately.”
The podcast was taken down after less than 12 hours online, although it was re-posted by Hanson and One Nation afterwards.
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