The British far-right activist Tommy Robinson has not been granted a US visa in time to meet with Republican members of Congress in Washington this week, according to an organiser of the meeting.
Robinson is the founder of the English Defence League (EDL) which in the past has staged violent demonstrations.
Robinson is on bail after being charged with contempt of court and has a string of previous convictions in Britain. He was jailed by British authorities in 2013 for using a passport in someone else’s name to travel to the US from Britain.
Daniel Pipes, president of the conservative Philadelphia-based Middle East Forum which invited Robinson to the US, said the British activist recently applied for a visa at the US embassy in London but now realises it “will take a while” for him to be allowed into the country.
In October the Guardian reported that Robinson could make more than £1mn from his US trip – making him one of the best funded far-right figures since World War II, according to an analysis by anti-fascist campaigners.
Fifty-five British lawmakers from both major political parties recently wrote to the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, requesting that Washington ban Robinson from visiting. They said they were concerned he would use a US visa to launch a fundraising tour.
The 35-year-old has growing support in the US. Joe Mulhall, a senior researcher at Hope not Hate, said: “The inevitable media coverage that will surround the visit will no doubt lead to an increase in his already significant monthly donations from America.” Last week PayPal banned Robinson from using its service. Robinson said he had been told he did not fit within the company’s user guidelines and would never be able to use the platform again.
The company said it does not comment on individual accounts but added in a statement: “We do not allow PayPal services to be used to promote hate, violence, or other forms of intolerance that is discriminatory.”
A state department spokesperson told the Guardian they US law prohibited them from discussing individual visa cases and they could not speculate on whether someone may or may not be eligible for a visa. “Applications are refused if an applicant is found ineligible under the Immigration and Nationality Act or other provisions of US law,” said the spokesperson.
Pipes said his group was still optimistic that Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, could be granted a US visa at a later date.
Robinson is set to visit Australia in December for a five-city speaking tour with the Vice co-founder Gavin McInnes. The pair call themselves The Deplorables, a reference to Hillary Clinton’s name for some of Donald Trump’s supporters.
Tommy Robinson: setback
