Great British National Protest organiser Richard Donaldson has infuriated his far-right supporters by appearing to suggest online that their contributions to his crowd funder are paying for his mortgage and repairs to his broken down washing machine.
Donaldson, an ex-soldier who has become a high-profile if controversial figure on the far right, raised over £30,000 for his recent ‘Stage 2’ rally on Dover Beach, where he had promised the money would be used for “stages with PA, performers, speakers and so much more”.
In the event little of this materialised and he was widely accused on the right of being no more than a ‘grifter’.
At the time he responded by posting a pained video online insisting that he was an honest guy, that all money raised would be used for the cause and that he was taking nothing of it for himself.
However, in a later post – which he has since taken down – he attempted to justify using the funds for his own living expenses.
The post was in support of Young Bob, a juvenile UKIP-supporting Christian Islamophobe, who turns up at Speakers Corner and anti-racist events trying to provoke trouble.
He is also a member of Turning Point which, like UKIP, is led by Nick Tenconi.
There is little doubt that Bob, just 17 years old, has his issues, and he recently posted an appeal for funds for legal help:
“I have recently been messed up by my family and by prevent I want to continue content but ensure my safety legally , none of my parents support my work I have been doing religious and political activism for nearly 2 years now and now everything being threatened.”
Donaldson immediately leapt to his aid, with a post arguing that people did not appreciate how much activism actually cost.
He appeared to suggest that in his own case funds raised would be used to repay his mortgage, pay off his debts, fund food and clothing purchases, and even repair his broken-down washing machine.
The response, even from his own supporters, was immediate and vitriolic, with many of them suggesting he get a job like the rest of them, and that his post was a “shot in the foot”.
The word “grift” was flying around like confetti.
Donaldson quickly removed the post.
He has now resorted to pretending that GBNP is behind the various racist anti-migrant demonstrations that are being called around the country. He turned up at one such demonstration outside a hotel in Altrincham last weekend.
In reality he is hanging desperately onto their coat tails, hoping to raise funds off their backs.
Just in case his washing machine breaks down again…
