Open letter, from women and women’s organisations re ‘Tommy Robinson’ & his Euro election candidacy
We have, along with many other women’s sector organisations, signed this open letter rejecting Tommy Robinson’s euro election bid.
Friday 10 May 2019
Dear Media Editors,
Dear Community Leaders, MPs, Activists, Friends,
Women and girls against Tommy Robinson
‘Tommy Robinson’, a man convicted of assault, rioting and fraud, a thug with a long history of making racist statements, has made a career out of causing trouble and division. He is now standing as an MEP candidate in the North West.
Tommy Robinson has made claims that, if elected, he will offer his salary to the child victims of what he terms ‘Muslim rape gangs’. We, as organisations and individuals fighting tirelessly against the abuse of women and girls, as survivors of abuse and their families, and as people who care about our communities, do not want your money, Tommy.
We are calling on the people of the North West to reject Tommy Robinson’s hatred, to register to vote, and to turn out against him in the upcoming European Elections. He has no place as our elected representative.
Those who have suffered sexual and physical abuse were failed by those who should have protected them. But Tommy Robinson is no ally for the children he claims to stand up for. Tommy doesn’t care about the rights of women and girls - he is exploiting the pain of survivors and their families to fuel racist hate for his own gain. He is a misogynist and has recklessly put victims at risk for his own moment of media spotlight.
Tommy Robinson’s factually incorrect messages about ‘grooming’, and his attempt to portray himself as a champion of the cause, are an insult to survivors of abuse.
They are also a profound insult to the women who have spent their whole lives building support services for survivors and working to ensure some cases finally got to court. Where were you during that work Tommy Robinson? The far right were never any part of this work.
We do not want a convicted thug and racist who does not truly care about abuse survivors on our ballot papers and we reject you Tommy Robinson.
In solidarity,
Sarah Green & Rachel Krys, Co-Directors, End Violence Against Women Coalition
Gurpreet Virdee, Co-Director, Women and Girls Network
Stella Dadzie, British Educationalist, activist, written and historian
Shonagh Dillon, Founder and CEO, Aurora New Dawn
Pragna Patel, Director, Southall Black Sisters
Mary-Ann Stephenson, Director, The Women’s Budget Group
Maggie Parks OBE, Chief Executive, The Women's Centre Cornwall
Diana Nammi, Executive Director, Iranian & Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation
Amna Abdul- Children and Young People's Lead, National Women's Aid
Women's March London
Akeela Ahmed MBE, founder, She Speaks We Hear
Aisha Ali-Khan, founder, Women United
Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, Lawyer and founder, Women in Leadership publication
Rachel Krengel, Intersectional Feminist Activist
Carys Afoko, founder, Level Up
Harriet Wistrich, Director, Centre for Women’s Justice
Marai Larasi MBE, Executive Director, Imkaan
Baljit Banga, Director, London Black Women’s Project
Christine McNaught, CEO, FWT Centre for women
Naana Otoo-Oyortey, Executive Director, FORWARD
Yvonne Traynor, CEO, Rape Crisis South London / Surrey & Sussex
Dr Miranda Horvath, Middlesex University.
Natasha Walter, Feminist Activist and Author - Living Dolls
Gemma Snowball, DHR & Team Development Manager, Standing Together Against Domestic Violence
Rebecca Vagi, Housing Manager, Standing Together Against Domestic Violence
Miranda Pio, Programme Manager and Policy Lead, Standing Together Against Domestic Violence
Professor Aisha K. Gill, Professor of Criminology & Co-Chair of EVAW
Aisha Graham-Sharif-, Intersectional Feminist Activist
Philomina Azu, Intersectional feminist activist
Forida Khatoun, Equalities Campaigner
Shazia Shamim, Equalities Campaigner
Monsura Mahmoud, Equalities Campaigner
Shaista Aziz, Cllr Rose Hill and Iffley, Oxford
Professor Marianne Hester, University of Bristol
Professor Liz Kelly CBE, London Metropolitan University
Yasmin Rehman, Human Rights Activist
Dr Fiona Vera-Grey, School of Law, Durham University
Jo Todd, CEO, RESPECT
Sara Kirkpatrick, RESPECT
Rasheda Ashanti Malcolm, Author and Domestic Abuse Specialist
Rachel Adamson, Director, Zero Tolerance
RMT Women’s Advisory Group