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New Statesman
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
Thomas Skinner's full English
Illustration by André Carrilho 'I don't plan – I just do everything on impulse.' So Thomas Skinner told the producers of The Apprentice before his television debut in 2019. And as we chatted before he spoke at the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation's Now and England conference, I began to believe him. He was grinning at me in his bulky suit, his face ablaze with a suntan like a bank holiday weekend. I asked him what he knew about his co-panellists, the High Tory MP Danny Kruger, the Brexiteer historian Robert Tombs and the ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe, latterly famous for calling for mass deportations. Skinner said he didn't know much about them. I asked him who had invited him to speak. 'James,' he replied, meaning James Orr, the Cambridge theology professor and close friend of JD Vance. But he said that he didn't really know James either. He'd simply accepted an invitation to talk about 'how much I love England'. Skinner's very presence here is a sign of the new strategies and gambits of the political right. His name will puzzle many otherwise switched-on, urbane readers. He started out as a pillow and mattress salesman, and then after his firing from The Apprentice – one of those decent, head-held-high firings, without the usual pleading and back-stabbing – Skinner remade himself a star of reality TV. He appeared on Celebrity MasterChef and 8 Out of 10 Cats. And, to far greater recognition, in mid 2022 he started to post videos of himself eating elaborately unhealthy meals on (then) Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. These meals are generally drawn from what I think of as the Great British, mid-week, can't-be-arsed menu: cottage pie, jacket potatoes and those domesticated exoticisms, curry, chilli con carne, Chinese. And like a Dickens character reminding you who they are after a multi-chapter absence, Skinner narrates these meals in a language of cheery catchphrases: 'Don't go home until you're proud'; 'Tough times don't last, but tough people do'; and, simply, 'Bosh!'. These videos, along with rolling footage of the Romford good life (golf, family BBQs, early-morning gym), have won Skinner an audience of 683,000 on Instagram alone. In recent months, however, something has shifted in his online persona. Skinner had always presented himself as a graduated member of the petite bourgeoisie (Ford Transit for work, red Bentley for play). But suddenly he started to post about his mates not wanting to go to church with him, about how families need more support with childcare costs, and about how 'London has fallen' with people 'too frightened to walk down their own street'. 'We need leadership that understands the streets, the markets, the working class', he wrote. 'People like me.' Dominic Cummings immediately offered his services for a London mayoral campaign. The reactionary right sniffed out a new champion in their battle against the libs. They believe Ray Parlour can be remade into their very own Hereward the Wake. And so, here is Skinner, taking his seat next to Rupert Lowe, in an Edwardian auditorium in Westminster. Around us were the Tory boys of stereotype: legions of gelled Malfoys, spotted with misshapen Crabbes and Goyles. First, though, both he and we had to endure the other speakers. Kruger kicked off. As he started speaking, Skinner spun his seat side-on and leant back a deckchair 45 degrees. Kruger talked about how England was the 'first nation', about Wycliffe, Bede and Alfred. And though we had been 'interpenetrated by foreigners', he exalted the great continuities in English history and that 'anyone can become English', a remark the man in front of me seemed to find oddly exercising. Behind me, a woman was resting her eyes. Skinner slouched and itched, swigging water directly from a large glass bottle (forgoing the tumbler provided). Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Next up was Tombs, who was straightforwardly dull. He talked about how we should teach the history of the country we share, emphasising what we have in common. He recommended a long march through the woke institutions, making funding of public projects more accountable and regularising the national history taught in schools. By this time, Skinner was nearly horizontal, and gurning madly on a stick of chewing gum. Last of the old guard was Lowe. The most exciting part of his speech came at the start: his reading glasses hung around his neck in two halves, and when he started speaking he snapped them together at the nose with delicious emphasis. Lowe is captivating, like a public schoolmaster at chapel; indeed, he reads his own words as if they actually come from the Bible. He gave his usual scripture about the Blairite coup and government by lawyers. Skinner was completely lost to his phone, typing away, the stage lights glinting off his golden watch. But when his turn came around, he bounded to the podium. His speech was titled 'The England I Love'. England is 'the absolute guv'nor', he said, home of the rule of law, the Industrial Revolution and the World Wide Web. It is built on family, graft and community: 'The single mum up at 5am, getting her kids ready, before a long day of work, but who still finds the strength to smile.' But these people have been failed, 'left behind in [their] own country', with 'kids being taught to be ashamed of their own flag'. He advocated once again for better childcare and support for young parents, as well as more forceful police (because, 'let's be honest, they're pussies at the minute'). It was simple, stirring, populist stuff. He was the only speaker to be interrupted by applause. Throughout, Kruger was looking at Skinner warily, as though a drunk had wandered into his train carriage. Tombs was studying him intently, like the president of the Royal Society confronted with a baffling new specimen. Lowe just grinned maniacally. When Skinner had finished, he offered him an awkward, lingering but reciprocated high-five. I couldn't help but wonder what united Skinner with these three: a post-liberal party intellectual, a grandee academic and a seigneurial landowner. As the panel took questions, Lowe went further, leaning into his 'family business' (and, he neglected to say, multimillionaire) background, and championing people 'like Tom and his family'. And he was rewarded with an 'I agree with what Rupert just said', before the final 'I would literally say what Rupert just said but I'm getting hot and ready for a pint'. Skinner ultimately scrambled off the stage during the Q&A – he said he had to take a call – and it was a good time to leave. First, there was a question from Carl Benjamin, a disgraced alt-right YouTuber. And then, as Tombs was saying something anodyne about how anyone could be English, he was interrupted by a nativist heckler. 'Ridiculous!' someone said. 'You inherit Englishness, it's in your ancestry.' Tombs argued him down, but the mood had soured. Perhaps he had just meant inheritance in the sense that these things must be actively passed down. Perhaps not. In his present incarnation, Skinner is far too goofy for such talk. But, an hour after the social media star sprinted off the stage, Robert Jenrick posted a video with him (two hours from then, I see from X, Skinner was having spag bol at home). More than any other politician, Jenrick is desperate to join Skinner in the realm of the algorithmic celebrity. And here was their crossover, a discussion of tool theft and its effect on tradesmen. In his speech, Skinner confirmed he's 'thinking about giving it a go in politics'. In so many ways, he's already there. [See also: Dominic Cummings: oracle of the new British berserk] Related
Spectator
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Labour MP backs Lowe's calls to free Lucy Connolly
The case of Lucy Connolly, the wife of a Tory councillor who was jailed over an offensive tweet, has sparked outrage across the country – and now even a Labour MP is calling for her release. Mary Glindon, MP for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend, has put her name to an early day motion tabled by ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe which calls for a review of Connolly's sentence to 'ensure that limited prison space is prioritised for dangerous and violent offenders' in a move that breaks ranks with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. How very curious… Remarking on her support for Lowe's motion, Glindon said:
Spectator
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Emily Maitlis doesn't understand grooming gangs
'You are focusing on Pakistani grooming gangs, because, probably, you're racist.' That's what Emily Maitlis ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe when he appeared on the News Agents podcast yesterday. But is she right? In fact, Pakistani men are up to five times as likely to be responsible for child sex grooming offences than the general population, according to figures from the Hydrant Programme, which is part of the police and helps investigate child sex abuse. According to academics from the universities of Reading and Chichester, around one in 73 Muslim men over 16 have been prosecuted for 'group-localised child sexual exploitation' in Rotherham. "Why do you 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 talk about Pakistani grooming gangs? There are 𝙩𝙚𝙣 times as many white grooming gang suspects?"@maitlis asks ex-Reform MP @RupertLowe10 why he won't denounce all perpetrators of grooming gangs equally. — The News Agents (@TheNewsAgents) May 15, 2025 Lowe has been keen to highlight these cases and is crowdfunding an inquiry into the grooming gang scandal.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Reform councillor quits two weeks after election
A new Staffordshire County councillor has stepped down, just two weeks after being elected. Wayne Titley won the Eccleshall and Gnosall division for Reform UK, beating the Conservative Jeremy Pert by just 27 votes. However, he attracted criticism for a post on his Facebook account in March that called on the navy to intercept small boats attempting to reach Britain and use a "volley of gun fire aimed at sinking them". Neither the party nor Mr Titley have addressed that post, which has since been removed, but he said he was resigning for "personal reasons". Reform said it was disappointing to see the level of abuse he had faced, which meant he could no longer continue. The party swept to power at the beginning of the month winning 49 out of the 62 seats on the county council, which had been led by the Conservatives since 2009. "Wayne would have made an excellent champion for the people of Eccleshall and Gnosall and we wish him well for the future," Reform said in a statement. "We are now getting ready to contest the by-election and ensure local people have a strong Reform voice to represent them." Philip Atkins, a former Conservative council leader, said the level of abuse often faced on social media meant it was all the more important that political parties carried out thorough vetting checks before putting candidates forward. It was a view echoed by Lib Dem Stafford borough councillor Alec Sandiford, who said the county council would now have to pick up the bill for a "needless by-election". Staffordshire County Council said details of the by-election would be confirmed in due course. The first full council meeting takes place on 22 May, where the incoming leader is expected to set out his priorities for the county. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Farage is running a cult, says ex-Reform MP Lowe Reform quizzed over councillor's Facebook posts Reform UK new group leader 'up for the challenge' Reform UK stands by councillor sacked by police Reform UK Staffordshire County Council
Daily Mirror
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe to face no criminal charges over 'verbal threat' claims
Prosecutors have decided no criminal charges will be brought against ex-Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe over allegations of "verbal threats". The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it had conducted a detailed review - but found there is "insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction". Nigel Farage's party reported the Great Yarmouth MP to the Metropolitan Police in March over alleged threats of physical violence against Reform chairman Zia Yusuf. He was suspended from the right-wing party in March amid a deepening civil war and allegations about his conduct, which he strongly denies. But on Wednesday the head of the CPS's special crime division, Malcolm McHaffie, said: 'Following a thorough and detailed review of the evidence in relation to an allegation of threats, we have decided that no criminal charges should be brought against a sitting MP. 'Having considered a number of witness statements, we have concluded that there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction." Follow our Mirror Politics account on Bluesky here. And follow our Mirror Politics team here - Lizzy Buchan, Mikey Smith, Kevin Maguire, Sophie Huskisson, Dave Burke and Ashley Cowburn. Be first to get the biggest bombshells and breaking news by joining our Politics WhatsApp group here. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you want to leave our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Or sign up here to the Mirror's Politics newsletter for all the best exclusives and opinions straight to your inbox. And listen to our exciting new political podcast The Division Bell, hosted by the Mirror and the Express every Thursday. He added: 'The Crown Prosecution Service's function is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent, and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for a criminal court to consider. Based on the careful consideration of this evidence, we have decided that our legal test for a criminal prosecution has not been met.' "The decision is also subject to the Victim's Right to Review (VRR) scheme which provides a victim or their families in some classes of case with a specifically designed process to exercise the right to review certain CPS decisions not to start a prosecution or to stop a prosecution. Mr Lowe said in a statement: "The Metropolitan Police have today confirmed that they are dropping their investigation into the false allegations that I made threats against the Reform Party chairman. "This was not normal political infighting. It was a sinister attempt to weaponise the criminal justice system against me - putting not just my political future, but my liberty at risk. All because I dared to raise constructive criticisms of Nigel Farage, stood firm on deporting illegal migrants, and pushed for Reform to be run democratically - not as a vehicle to stroke one man's ego."
