'Like a gangster' How Tommy Robinson rose to be leader of Britain's far right

At a 40,000-strong rally in Trafalgar Square in London in July, the far-right activist Tommy Robinson was characteristically defiant. "Death, prison or glory, we will never submit to your lies," he declared. "They want to send me to jail [but] the world will know I told the truth."

- Harriet Sherwood

On Monday, Robinson was duly handed 18 months in prison for contempt of court. He had shown no remorse and there was no realistic prospect of rehabilitation, said Mr Justice Johnson at Woolwich crown court. "All of his actions so far suggest that he regards himself as above the law."

In the dock, Robinson pumped his chest and saluted his loyal supporters in the public gallery. They blew kisses back. He was taken to Belmarsh high-security prison in south-east London.

The jailing of Robinson is the latest episode in his apparently inexorable rise from the owner of a tanning salon in Luton, Bedfordshire, to the brash pin-up hero of the far right in the UK, the US and beyond. He is now, arguably, the most potent individual to have emerged on the British far right since Enoch Powell.

Along the way, he has served four jail terms, and has now begun his fifth. None appear to have led him to reflect on and reconsider his actions; indeed, they have reinforced his image as a political martyr to the cause of rightwing extremism.

Robinson is a compl

ex and often contradictory figure, but "we should not underestimate him", said Nick Lowles, chief executive of the anti-racism campaign group, Hope Not Hate, who has watched him closely for years.

He is "massively charismatic" with "enormous reach", said Lowles. "He has an ability to bring huge crowds together on a level that we haven't seen previously. His videos are watched in the millions."

It was easy to see why Robinson, 41, had emerged as a high-profile leader of the far right, said Lowles. "Firstly, he is charismatic and instils a sense of loyalty and following. Secondly, he is willing to get stuck in. He's willing to go to prison, and he's the first one in a fight.