From Southport Riot Lies to Harbouring a Paedophile – The Reckoning Nigel Farage Must Deliver
UK Activism Scandal: How Hope Not Hate's CEO Spreads Chaos While Pretending to Fight Extremism
By James Allan | Updated: February 2026 | Reading time: 8 minutes
For wider context, read Mark Heath: Fake Far-Right Grifter, How to Hold Your Local Council to Account: A British Toolkit, Britain's Blueprint: Ending Veteran Homelessness, Inspiring the World, British Focus coverage.
Section 1: Introduction – The Shadowy World of Nick Lowles
In the shadowy world of UK activism, few figures embody self-righteous hypocrisy quite like Nick Lowles. As the CEO of Hope Not Hate (HnH), Lowles has spent years positioning himself as a leading crusader against far-right extremism. His efforts have earned him an MBE and widespread media praise for allegedly exposing threats to society.
But peel back the polished veneer, and a very different picture emerges. Behind the scenes is a man whose reckless actions have done more to inflame community tensions than extinguish them. This was never more evident than during the tragic aftermath of the 2024 Southport stabbings, where three young girls lost their lives in a horrifying attack.
Lowles didn't just drop the ball during a national crisis—he poured gasoline on the fire. By spreading baseless rumours, his actions escalated chaos on the streets, all while publicly decrying others for the exact same sins of division.
Section 2: The Nigel Farage Connection – A Vindicated Grievance
Now, with Nigel Farage's past grievances against Hope Not Hate looking more justified by the day, the time for a reckoning has arrived. Critics argue that Farage should haul Lowles back to court over libelous smears that exploited the deaths of innocent children for cheap political gain.
The hypocrisy runs deep, and the evidence is mounting.
Section 3: The Paedophile Scandal – Hope Not Hate's Darkest Secret
Let's start with the undeniable facts—and the most damning scandal currently rotting in Lowles' backyard: his organisation's direct link to child sexual abuse.
Just this month, in February 2026, former HnH political organiser Liron Velleman (also known as Liron Woodcock-Velleman) pleaded guilty to two counts of child sexual offences. This was no peripheral volunteer. Velleman was a senior staffer who played a key role in drafting the Online Safety Act, legislation ironically aimed at protecting kids online.
Velleman was caught in a Metropolitan Police sting operation. He sent explicit messages and images to an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl. The betrayal of trust was absolute.
Lowles' lame response? He condemned the incident as "isolated," insisted there was no post-employment contact with the predator, and claimed all background checks were clean. Yet the damage is done. Under Lowles' leadership, Hope Not Hate harboured this paedophile while hypocritically spending years exposing child abusers in far-right groups.
For context, Hope Not Hate has previously highlighted over 20 convicted members of the English Defence League (EDL) for child sexual exploitation, alongside similar attacks on the British National Party (BNP). Right-wing critics and users on X are now demanding full audits: How can Nick Lowles preach morality when his taxpayer-funded outfit employed a paedophile? If the roles were reversed and a far-right group employed such an individual, Lowles would be leading the charge demanding heads to roll.
Section 4: The Matthew Collins Controversy – A Violent Hypocrite in Charge
But the rot within Hope Not Hate goes deeper still. Lowles employs Matthew Collins as his "head of intelligence." Collins is a reformed—or questionably reformed—ex-National Front and BNP member with a violent past.
In 1989, Collins participated in a brutal hammer attack on an anti-racist meeting. The assault hospitalised 17 people, including Asian women. Collins dodged criminal charges and has since spun the incident as his personal "redemption" moment. But critics slam Lowles for the blatant hypocrisy: How can one condemn far-right violence while paying a former thug to run intelligence operations? This is the crew Lowles leads while finger-wagging at others from his moral high horse.
Section 5: The Southport Lies – Exploiting Dead Children for Chaos
Now, tie that pattern of behaviour directly to Lowles' riot-fueling lies during the 2024 Southport tragedy. He exploited the heartbreaking deaths of Alice da Silva Aguiar, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Bebe King for political advantage.
As unrest brewed across the nation, Lowles took to X (formerly Twitter) to post about an alleged "acid attack" on a Muslim woman in Middlesbrough, blaming "far-right thuggery." The post exploded online, inciting counter-protests and risking even more violence on the streets.
There was just one problem: It was pure fiction. Police confirmed no such incident ever took place. Lowles eventually deleted the tweet with a meek apology, but the damage was already done. Conservative MP Neil O'Brien slammed him for "pouring petrol on the flames." Petitions circulated demanding his arrest for incitement.
Worse still, Lowles admitted to sharing a hoax list of over 100 far-right protest sites. He claimed it was fake but justified it by saying it "spread an anti-racist message" to millions. What message? A message of division and fear, turning national grief into potential bloodshed.
Section 6: A History of Hypocrisy and Danger
This was not an isolated blunder. Lowles is not just a hypocrite; critics argue he is genuinely dangerous. His organisation, funded partly by taxpayers and cozy with Labour Party figures—providing voter analysis and shielded by allies like Attorney General Lord Hermer—faces numerous accusations.
Hope Not Hate has been accused of blackmail, supplying drugs to informants, doxxing innocent individuals, and manipulating grooming gang victims. These claims were highlighted in Tommy Robinson's 2022 exposé, titled "Hope Not Hate Exposed." Right-wing voices now consistently label the organisation a "smear machine," targeting Reform UK with unproven claims. HnH was even forced to apologise for wrongly accusing a pro-Israel activist of a violent attack in 2019.
Section 7: Funding Woes and Charity Commission Probe
Funding issues have also come to light. In 2025, a Charity Commission probe investigated the organisation for misusing charitable funds for political hit jobs. The investigation prompted Lowles' resignation from the board—though he clings tightly to his CEO power.
Section 8: The Left Turns – Even Critics on His Own Side
Even the political left has turned on Lowles. In 2016, the NUS Black Students group no-platformed him over alleged Islamophobia in his discussions regarding grooming gangs. He often hides behind personal threats to garner sympathy, but his tactics arguably sow the very hate he claims to fight.
Section 9: The Verdict – Time for Farage to Act
Enter Nigel Farage. The Brexit firebrand was sued by Lowles for libel in 2016-2017 after Farage called HnH "extremists" using "violent and undemocratic means." Farage retracted and paid £100,000 in damages.
But Lowles' Southport stunts have vindicated Farage completely. The pattern of spreading lies to manipulate and defame "far-right" figures by association is now undeniable. Farage—whatever his political flaws—now has a slam-dunk counter-suit opportunity. He should hold Lowles accountable for exploiting the deaths of little girls.
It is not about revenge. It is about justice. Drag this dangerous hypocrite into the light and watch his empire of smears crumble into the dust.
© 2026 James Allan. All rights reserved.