The march, and a pro-Palestinian demonstration expected to take place at the same time, drew intensive police planning, with 4,000 officers, armored vehicles, helicopters, drones and for the first time facial recognition technology deployed to keep order in the capital.
Nationally, Robinson is seen negatively by 47 percent of adults across all voter groups, compared to 17 percent who have a positive opinion of him. But the poll shows the extent to which Reform’s backers are sympathetic to the most extreme end of activism on the right.
With Reform now consistently topping opinion polls — and winning elections across the country — the opinions of its voters stand to influence how the country is run in years to come at local level and potentially from Westminster, too.
“Robinson has historically been a fringe figure in British politics, and that hasn’t changed. What has changed is that his supporters have, for the first time, coalesced around a party with a real shot at power,” said Seb Wride, head of polling at Public First.
“Half of those with positive views of Robinson would now vote Reform, and they make up roughly a third of Reform’s base,” said Wride. “If Reform achieves the political power its recent electoral performance suggests, a substantial chunk of its coalition will sit at the edge of what many voters consider acceptable politics, with real sway over who the party has to court to hold itself together.”