Charismatic leadership in a far-right movement: an analysis of an English defence league message board following the resignation of Tommy Robinson

This article analyses 1115 posts made across 67 threads on an English Defence League (EDL) message board from 5 October 2013 to 19 October 2013. During the two-week research period, the then leader of the EDL, Tommy Robinson, resigned (8 October 2013) and the posts that existed before, during and immediately after his resignation became the focus of this article. After thematically analysing the posts, the article outlines a sense of betrayal, with concerns about the movement’s future and indicates the importance of leadership in the collective identity of far-right movements.