In February 2020, far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (‘Tommy Robinson’) travelled to Moscow and St Petersburg, giving interviews to Kremlin-backed broadcaster RT and meeting figures linked to Russian nationalist movements. Since then, questions have long swirled about his Russian connections and the sources of his funding amid mounting legal debts.
Byline Times can now reveal that years before that trip to Russia, Robinson was hired as a “goodwill ambassador” for an unregistered charity fronting a secretive Russian propaganda network that worked directly for President Vladimir Putin’s administration, and has ties to a sanctioned Russian state-linked oil giant.
The unregistered charity – the MMBF Trust – is part of a network centred around the London Post.
At first glance, the London Post resembles a local news website covering UK gambling regulations and London restaurant reviews. It has featured articles about Borough Market’s grocery ordering service, and good spots for ramen.
But sources who spoke to Byline Times described it as part of what intelligence analysts call a ‘black PR’ operation: coordinated disinformation campaigns designed to manipulate public opinion while concealing their true sponsors.
Not shocked, just furious. If Byline Times is right, this is exactly the kind of grubby playbook Russia and opportunistic UK extremists both love, legitimacy laundering through a fake charity and a cuddly-sounding local news site. Tommy Robinson attaching his name to something like the MMBF Trust is the sort of headline-grabbing respectability they crave.
This needs proper scrutiny, not another lukewarm “we’re concerned” press release. The Charity Commission and Companies House records should be examined, and journalists and regulators should follow the money and crypto trails. Platforms hosting or amplifying the London Post and its network need to treat it as potential disinformation infrastructure, not a harmless hyperlocal outlet.
Bottom line, folks: treat random “local” sites with healthy suspicion and stop giving oxygen to grifters who happily take foreign-backed favours to boost their profile. I’m tired of seeing our politics sold out like this.