“Outright racist” activist Daniel Thomas will face “full force of law” over any crimes, says home secretary
Shabana Mahmood says she wants to distinguish between far-right extremism and legitimate local concerns over asylum sites
TL;DR
- Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described anti-asylum activist Daniel Thomas as "far-right and outright racist" and warned he would face the "full force of the law" if his organization commits crimes.
- Mahmood reassured villagers that asylum seekers moving into a former defence site would have "self-contained facilities" to avoid pressuring local resources.
- Daniel Thomas, co-founder of the Patriot Platform, previously stated thousands of followers could protest at the Piddington site.
- Piddington residents symbolically voted overwhelmingly against the proposed asylum facility.
- Mahmood emphasized distinguishing between legitimate local anxiety and extremists "hijacking" issues.
- Thomas has a history of organizing disruptive protests and is a former bodyguard for Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
- The Home Secretary also launched a £26.25m anti-knife crime initiative across England and Wales.
- Thomas denies being racist and claims to welcome people of other nationalities into his organization.