Express & Star

EDL: 'We want nothing to do with Tory candidate Amin'

Former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson is said to have blown the whistle on Afzal Amin's alleged scheme because he objected to being used as a pawn in his game.

Published

He secretly filmed a meeting involving himself, Mr Amin and current EDL chairman Steve Eddowes on Monday, March 16, at Indian restaurant Celebrity in Birmingham.

He then recorded a phone conversation which took place two days later. Both conversations saw them discuss the plot to announce an EDL demonstration which would never actually go ahead, as Dudley North candidate Mr Amin, who is a Muslim, was reportedly intending to take credit for defusing the situation.

Mr Robinson said: "I was stunned that this respectable man was talking about bribing members of the EDL and organising fake marches. I was equally alarmed when he said he had violently attacked someone. I haven't been an angel, but this man could win his election and I felt I had to do something."

Mr Eddowes added: "This was the same guy who had told us that he wanted to be Prime Minister. It seemed entirely dishonest to me.

"The fake demonstration was fraudulently wasting the time of the authorities. Then he said he would pay our members to canvass for him at the election. I don't know if that's legal, but it didn't seem right to me. It felt like he was trying to buy us off.

"I was really disappointed in the man. I'd met him earlier this year and was really impressed," said Mr Eddowes.

"To me he ticked every box with his British Army background and seemed like a man of real integrity, but when I left that meeting on Monday I felt like I wanted nothing more to do with him."

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.