2 hours ago
8
The homelessness charity Centrepoint has confirmed it will cut ties with its celebrity ambassador Sharon Osbourne after she expressed support for a far-right rally being organised by Tommy Robinson.
The charity, of which the Prince of Wales is patron, has been forced to distance itself from comments made by Osbourne. The TV personality indicated this week that she would be attending an event organised in London by Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
The rightwing agitator has been using social media to promote his “unite the kingdom” rally. Replying to a post about the event, Osbourne used her official Instagram account to leave a comment saying: “see you at the march”.
In response, Centrepoint, which had recently hired Osborne as a contracted ambassador for a campaign, said: “This sort of event does not align with our values”.
It added: “Centrepoint has a proud history of supporting young people whatever their background, ethnicity or religion. If we want young people to thrive in this country, then we need to ensure our society continues to allow them to live without fear and able to access the opportunities they need to start education or work and leave homelessness behind.”
In a statement, the charity expressed its gratitude to Osbourne for supporting its Omaze campaign, which raised money by selling entries for a sweepstakes-style draw to win a £5m home overlooking Lake Windermere along with £250,000 in cash.
“While Sharon supported us on this campaign, for which she was referred to as an ambassador as is standard for Omaze prize draws, she is not an official ongoing ambassador of Centrepoint, and we have no plans to work together in the future”, it said.
Osbourne’s support for the 16 May rally was celebrated by Robinson, who has been eager to gain endorsement from celebrities and was recently permitted to re-enter the US for a visit, where he met US politicians and policymakers.
More than 100,000 people are estimated to have been on the streets last September at the previous “unite the kingdom” rally, which turned out to be the largest far-right rally of its type in British history.
As well as a range of extremist speakers who appeared on stage, the event was addressed remotely by Elon Musk, who was condemned by Downing Street for using “dangerous and inflammatory” language.
“Whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die, that’s the truth, I think,” Musk told the event.
The Metropolitan police has been accused of giving preferential treatment to this year’s far-right demonstration over a pro-Palestine protest in London on the same day.
A Met spokesperson said decisions on demonstrations were not based on political affiliations but on safety and security.
Osbourne has been approached for comment.
