Calvin Robinson

{{bronze}}[[File:Calvin Robinson by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Holy Shit!]]{{altrightnav|1}}
{{cquote|Unless you’re a fan of GB News, you have probably not heard much of Calvin Robinson. He pops up occasionally on mainstream TV, wearing his clerical collar and talking of Christian faith. What is less obvious in these moments is that his views border on Fascism (and I don’t say that lightly).|||Baptist Minister-in-Training Symon Hill<ref>Symon Hill, [https://leftfootforward.org/2024/08/the-far-right-are-misusing-christianity-for-their-warped-ideology-theres-nothing-christian-about-them/ The far-right are misusing Christianity for their warped ideology. There’s nothing Christian about them], ''Left Foot Forward'', 6 August 2024.</ref>}}{{cquote|Today I received hundreds of nasty calls, texts, voicemails and emails today from very bitter, angry, vile leftists. They are often the very thing they accuse you of. I am not a Nazi. But I forgive you of your ignorance. My heart goes out to you!|||Robinson doubles down following backlash.<ref name=newsweek>Aila Slisco [https://www.newsweek.com/priest-mimics-elon-musks-salute-anti-abortion-rally-2023261 Priest Mimics Elon Musk's Salute at Anti-Abortion Rally]. ''Newsweek'' 29 January 2025</ref>}}

'''Calvin Robinson''' {{lived|October 1985|}}<ref>[https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/BvFjBHsUZLBK7YF-YVbGBLGsS28/appointments Calvin ROBINSON] ''Companies House''</ref> is a [[far right]] commentator and defrocked [[evangelical]] priest<ref>[https://www.anglicancatholic.org.uk/2025/01/30/a-statement-on-calvin-robinson/ A Statement on Calvin Robinson] by Jonathan Munn (30 January 2025) ''The Anglican Catholic Church''</ref> best known for his weekly, [[conspiracy|conspiratorial]], anti-immigrant screed, ''Calvin’s Common Sense Crusade''.<ref name=hnhcf>[https://hopenothate.org.uk/case-files-calvin-robinson/ CASE FILE: Calvin Robinson] ''Hope Not Hate''</ref> He has been described as a "turbulent priest" and latest in a "line of Jeremiahs," whose polemical style echoes that of US "televangelists".<ref name=prospectSB>Stephen Bates, [https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/religion/63459/calvin-robinson-gb-news-church-of-england How Calvin Robinson threw in his lot with the polemicists], ''Prospect Magazine'', 10 October 2023.</ref> He has also been criticized for his ideological relationship to [[Nazism]].<ref>https://religionnews.com/2025/01/30/anglican-priest-calvin-robinson-defrocked-over-nazi-like-salute/</ref>

==Geek to Nazi pipeline==
===In the beginning...===
{{cquote|After meeting him I [...] felt he was quite a sad figure... I hope he goes to therapy and stops taking his inner turmoil out on the rest of us|||''Times'' columnist James Marriott<ref>Liam O'Dell, [https://www.indy100.com/tv/calvin-robinson-gb-news-times Ex-GB News host Calvin Robinson has a painting of himself in his toilet], ''indy100'', 29 October 2023.</ref>}}

Robinson, who describes his background as "half English, half Afro-Caribbean, one hundred per cent British,"<ref name=substack>[https://archive.ph/stmBD Calvin Robinson] ''Substack''</ref> was born and raised in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire,<ref>[https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/former-mansfield-teacher-hes-been-5035770 Former Mansfield teacher on why he's been called a 'race traitor' for his right wing views] by Andrew Topping (23 Febuary 2021) ''Nottinghamshire Live''</ref> where his paternal grandparents had immigrated to from Jamaica as part of the {{wpl|British African-Caribbean people#The "Windrush generation"|Windrush generation|.}}<ref>Allison Pearson, [https://archive.ph/hrSZN Institutionally racist? The Church of England has fallen victim to institutional cowardice]. ''The Telegraph'', 24 May 2022.</ref> He completed an undergraduate degree in computer game design and programming at the University of Westminster, and, if his own self-penned hagiography is to be believed, spent seven years working in the tech industry<ref>[https://archive.ph/Vm9QH Calvin Robinson – Head of Research] ''Parliament Street''</ref> as a web designer and project manager.<ref>[http://ldn.cm/team.html The Team] ''LDN.CM''</ref> 

The ''God is a Geek'' (GiaG) website, the most successful venture to come out of the software consultancy and supply company LDN.CM (originally named SRC London LTD), which Robinson co-founded with Rukshan "Ruk" Cooray {{lived|May 1983|}}<ref>[https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/VMHzlnLVpaG2dtLoY3dHYHi400I/appointments Rukshan COORAY] ''Companies House''</ref> in 2009,<ref>[https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/06902573 LDN.CM LIMITED] ''Companies House''</ref> launched his media career by publishing his video games journalism until 2019, when LDN.CM was disolved and he moved on to other things.<ref>[https://www.godisageek.com/author/calvin-robinson/ Calvin Robinson] ''God is a Geek''</ref> The GiaG website continued with "zero input" from its "estranged owner" until a unanimous decision by the editorial team to cease publication on January 30, 2025, and restart "under a new banner," with the public statement:<ref>[https://archive.ph/r7TAf Official statement from the Editorial Team] ''God is a Geek''</ref> {{Quotebox|To be absolutely clear, we do not support, share, or condone Calvin Robinson’s politics or actions. We have run the site independently of Calvin for several years now in the hopes that we would not have to lose the hard work we have poured into it, the access we have worked hard for, and the relationships we have developed. However, it has become increasingly clear that we can no longer separate the site from the owner.}}

[[File:CalvinRobinIChoseToTeach.png|thumb|right|165px|Those that can't do...]]
Retraining as a teacher, following the 2014 inclusion of coding in the national curriculum, Robinson was appointed department head in computing science and later vice principal at St Mary's and St John's Church of England School in Hendon, London.<ref>Rhys Handley, [https://www.times-series.co.uk/news/15075029.youtube-replaced-tv-kids-teacher-recruits-famous-friends-teach-web-safety/ St Mary's and St John's CE school in Hendon recruits famous YouTube users to teach internet safety to pupils]. ''Barnet Borough Times'', 7th February 2017.</ref><ref>Alex Alley, [https://www.times-series.co.uk/news/16218336.st-marys-st-johns-ce-schools-choir-wows-audience-vicars-send-off/ St Mary's and St John's CE School's choir wows audience for vicar's send off]. ''Barnet Borough Times'', 11th May 2018.</ref> He simultaneously served in a variety of roles as a Tory campaigner,<ref name=substack /> standing unsuccessfully to be a local councilor at the 2016 Brent local by-election and the 2018 Camden local election,<ref name=wcivf>[https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/person/19454/calvin-robinson Calvin Robinson]. ''Who Can I Vote For?''.</ref> and becoming the face of a government's ''I Chose to Teach'' campaign to encourage recruitment into teaching.<ref>Jenny Desborough, [https://www.times-series.co.uk/news/15372525.teacher-becomes-face-national-recruitment-campaign-teaching-staff/ Teacher becomes face of national recruitment campaign for teaching staff]. ''Barnet Borough Times'', 26th June 2017.</ref> Thanks to the recognition he got from this campaign the Tory press amplified<ref>Alex Matthews, [https://archive.ph/opO68 Schools 'brainwashing' pupils to see Tories as 'evil' and support Labour, says teacher who fronted Department for Education recruitment drive]. ''Daily Mail'', 14 July 2017.</ref><ref>[https://archive.ph/sGVXO Teacher poster boy chosen by Dept of Education says children are taught 'Tories are evil’]. ''Daily Express'', 14 July 2017.</ref><ref>Camilla Turner, [https://archive.ph/lCrmm Teacher who became face of Government recruitment drive warns that children are subjected to 'left-wing brainwashing' in classroom]. ''The Telegraph'', 14 July 2017.</ref><ref>Emma Lake, [https://archive.ph/PQUR8 LEFT IN THE CLASSROOM: Are your kids being BRAINWASHED into supporting Labour? Top teacher claims children are secretly taught from ‘a very young age’ that Tories are ‘evil’]. ''The Sun'', 15 July 2017.</ref><ref>Nicola Woolcock, [https://archive.ph/lUOae Teachers ‘indoctrinating’ children to be left-wing]. ''The Times'', 15 July 2017.</ref><ref>Jack Montgomery, [https://archive.ph/T1yUU Star Teacher: Schools Are Subjecting Pupils to ‘Left-Wing Brainwashing’]. ''Breitbart'', 15 July 2017.</ref> a screed he'd quickly penned for ''Conservatives for Liberty'' claiming in part:<ref name=cnj>Richard Osley, [https://www.camdennewjournal.co.uk/article/face-of-governments-teacher-recruitment-drive-rails-against-lefty-bias-in-schools Face of government's teacher recruitment drive rails against ‘lefty bias' in schools]. ''Camden New Journal'', 13th July 2017 .</ref> {{Quotebox|Our young people are being indoctrinated to a left-wing mentality from a very young age. Pretty much throughout their entire educational career, young people are being trained into a lefty way of thinking. I’ve seen this first-hand on too many occasions.}}

As a self-confessed "swivel-eyed Brexit loon,"<ref>Calvin Robinson, [https://archive.ph/x6huV ‘I’m the only swivel-eyed Brexit loon in the staffroom’], ''TES Magazine'', 22 December 2019.</ref> Robinson founded the Eurosceptic tactical voting website Vote2Leave,<ref>Sam Lister, [https://archive.ph/QBd59 BREXIT on the BRINK: Leavers urged to use tactical voting site or ‘we lose it ALL’], ''Daily Express'', 3 December 2019.</ref> and  was selected to stand against [[Change UK]] candidate and so-called "remainer-in-chief" {{wpl|Anna Soubry}} as the [[Brexit Party]] candidate for Broxtowe in the [[2019 United Kingdom general election]], earning such responses from his teaching colleagues as  “Failed narcissist,” “Out of touch with the common folk,” “Are you on drugs?,” and “TWAT!” He was, nonetheless, one of the 317 candidates stood down to help the Tories to victory.

Further appointments for Robinson at this time included serving as a school governor and trustee of the {{wpl|Michaela Community School}} in Wembley, London,<ref>[https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/FlaUdQa9Ah6YRjF4u7nVY9dYiuI/appointments Calvin ROBINSON] ''Companies House''</ref> which under headmistress {{wpl|Katharine Birbalsingh}} has been dubbed the "strictest school in Britain" and has close ties to {{wpl|Suella Braverman}} and [[Michael Gove]];<ref>Josiah Mortimer and Max Colbert,[https://bylinetimes.com/2023/07/11/braverman-and-birbalsingh-the-close-tory-ties-of-the-right-wings-beloved-strictest-headmistress/ Braverman and Birbalsingh: The Close Tory Ties of the Right Wing’s Beloved ‘Strictest Headmistress’] ''Byline Times'', 11 July 2023.</ref>  education sub-committee board member for the {{wpl|Royal Academy of Dance||,}} from which he was dismissed after speaking at a [[Turning Point UK]] anti-drag queen story hour protest;<ref>Emily Chudy, [https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/10/02/gb-news-calvin-robinson-damages-anti-drag-protests/ GB News host Calvin Robinson paid damages after job dismissal over anti-drag protests] ''The Pink News'', 2 October 2023.</ref> and Senior Fellow responsible for Education Policy at influential right-wing think tank {{wpl|Policy Exchange||.}}<ref>[https://archive.ph/S8B8j Calvin Robinson – Senior Fellow, Education and History Matters Project] ''Policy Exchange''</ref>

===Just following orders...===
[[File:CalvinRobinsonSalute.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Those who are about to die...]][[File:Nazi detector.png|thumb|right|165px|...salute you.]]{{cquote|Calvin Robinson seems destined to be a minor star in the strange coalition of evangelicals, libertarians, broligarchs, free-speechers, weirdos, conspiracists and fantasists who are currently in the global ascendancy. If he has, indeed, ever been “cancelled”, it seems to me more likely that it is because he is a bit of a show-off, an oddball, a lost soul.|||Alan Rusbridger<ref>Alan Rusbridger, [https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/free-speech/69416/has-britains-conspiracy-theory-cleric-been-cancelled-by-the-church Has Britain’s conspiracy theory cleric been ‘cancelled’ by the church?]. ''Prospect'', 1st March 2024.</ref><ref>Alan Rusbridger, [https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/calvin-robinson-cancelled-gb-news-musk-trump-b2706754.html Has Calvin Robinson, the oddball cleric, been ‘cancelled’ by the church?]. ''The Independent'', 1st March 2024.</ref>}}

Robinson studied theology at St Stephen's House, Oxford, from 2020 to 2022, and was, he claims, on his way to being ordained a Church of England deacon, until his Twitter account was discovered by Anglican bishop Rob Wickham and concerns were raised about his "libertarian anti-woke, anti-identity politics, Covid-sceptical" agenda.<ref>Emily-Jane Heap, [https://archive.ph/eKBGw Black conservative trainee vicar ‘blocked’ from joining Church of England over ‘anti-woke views’], ''The Telegraph'', 22 May 2022</ref> When it was annouced that a suitable curacie could not be found for him, Robinson defected to the {{wpl|Free Church of England||,}} which ordained him and appointed him to Christ Church in Harlesden, London.<ref name=prospectSB />

[[GB News]] began broadcast of the relatively innocuous sounding Robinson hosted Sunday afternoon current affairs chat and opinions show, ''Calvin's Common Sense Crusade'' in 2021, with its stated "mission to return common sense and religious teachings to the debate."<ref name=prospectAB>Andrew Brown, [https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/65418/candid-calvin-robinson-gb-news-laurence-fox Candid Calvin], ''Prospect Magazine'', 27 March 2024.</ref><ref name=prospectAR>Alan Rusbridger, [https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/65518/conspiracy-theorist-cleric-calvin-robinson Church and hate: Meet Britain’s conspiracy theorist cleric], ''Prospect Magazine'', 29 March 2024.</ref> The show was, however, cancelled after less than two years when Robinson was sacked for voicing his support for [[Laurence Fox]] and {{wpl|Dan Wooton||,}} who had been simmilarly dissmissed after Fox launched into an unchallenged misogynistic tirade about journalist Ava Evans on GB News' show ''Dan Wootton Tonight''. 

Robinson subsequently took his ''Common Sense Crusade'' to [[Carl Benjamin]]'s [[Lotus Eaters]] platform, and started a cringe podcast with Fox called ''Fox and Father''. The duo were also regular attendees at a series of chaotic anti drag queen story hour protests,<ref>[https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/02/25/honor-oak-pub-drag-queen-protest-turning-point-uk/ Hundreds turn out to defend London pub’s drag event for kids from pitiful far-right protest] by Will Stroude (25th February 2023) ''Pink News''</ref><ref>[https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/03/27/far-right-turning-point-uk-drag-honor-oak-pub/ Far-right group outnumbered by LGBTQ+ protesters in sad attempt to shut down London drag event] by Will Stroude (27th March 2023) ''Pink News''</ref><ref>[https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/05/28/turning-point-uk-drag-event-honor-oak/ Pitiful turnout of anti-drag protesters countered with ‘joyful’ LGBTQ+ street party] by Chantelle Billson (28th May 2023) ''Pink News''</ref> (dis-)organised by [[Turning Point UK]] (TPUK) COO and Christian fanatic [[Nick Tenconi]] throughout 2023, outside the Honour Oak pub in Lewisham, South-East London as well as a couple of other locations (including at least one which didn't even have a drag queen story hour).<ref>[https://freedomnews.org.uk/2023/03/15/lawrence-fox-and-fash-friends-humiliated-in-dulwich/ Lawrence Fox and fash friends humiliated in Dulwich] (15th March 2023) ''Freedom''</ref>

The Free Church of England released Robinson from his deaconship in late 2023, so that he could be ordained into the priesthood of the {{wpl|Nordic Catholic Church||.}}<ref>[https://archive.ph/LH9fK Calvin Robinson Ordained to the Priesthood], ''Nordic Catholic Church'', 16 November 2023.</ref> Meanwhile, the once mighty [[UK Independence Party]] (UKIP) marked it's continuing slide into far-right irrelevence under the "interim" leadership of TPUK street thug Tenconi by appointing Robinson as its Lead Spokesperson on Everything.<ref>[https://www.searchlightmagazine.com/2024/08/ukip-opens-door-to-yaxley-lennon-and-anti-islam-christian-crusade/ UKIP opens door to Yaxley-Lennon and anti-Islam, Christian crusade], ''Searchlight'', 14 August 2024.</ref>

Proud Brit, fanatical anti-immigration activist and newly appointed UKIP spokesperson Calvin Robinson announced in summer 2024 that no longer feeling safe in London he was leaving behind Keir Starmer’s “dark Satanic Mills” to follow his calling to a parish "elsewhere".<ref>Liam O'Dell, [https://www.indy100.com/news/calvin-robinson-leaving-uk Ukip spokesperson Calvin Robinson to leave UK, correctly predicts critics will 'rejoice'], ''indy100'', 30 August 2024.</ref> The following month Robinson was incardinated as the new Priest of St Paul’s Anglican Catholic Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Almost immediately after arriving, he was already ingratiating himself into Trump circles.<ref>[https://www.searchlightmagazine.com/2024/11/batshit-preacher-to-be-trumped-by-farage/ ‘Batshit preacher’ to be trumped by Farage?], ''Searchlight'', 12 November 2024.</ref> Somewhat predictably, his American mission was not to last long...

Speaking at the National Pro-Life Summit in Washington, D.C., on January 25, 2025, concluded his conspiratorial, anti-immigrant screed with:{{Quotebox|This is the last stand for Christendom. It’s make or break time. The whole of the old world is crumbling. Every country in Europe is embracing death. America as far as I can see is the only country fighting for life. And that's down to you guys, so God bless all of you for what you're doing, please keep doing it, I hope that I can encourage you, and my heart goes out to you. God bless.<ref name=newsweek />}} Which he followed up by mimicking the {{wpl|Nazi salute}} [[Elon Musk]] had [[Elon Musk#Giving a Nazi salute|given]] at the {{wpl|Second inauguration of Donald Trump}} five days earlier. Pinned to his Xitter account, this was brought to the attention of the {{wpl|Anglican Catholic Church}} (ACC), which responded: 

{{Quotebox|While we cannot say what was in Mr. Robinson’s heart when he did this, his action appears to have been an attempt to curry favor with certain elements of the American political right by provoking its opposition. Mr. Robinson had been warned that online trolling and other such actions (whether in service of the left or right) are incompatible with a priestly vocation and was told to desist. Clearly, he has not, and as such, his license in this Church has been revoked. He is no longer serving as a priest in the ACC.<ref name=acc>[https://archive.is/9sDyF A Statement on Calvin Robinson]. Archived from anglicancatholic.org, 31 January 2025.</ref>}}

==See also==
*[[Father Coughlin]] — Another priest with far-right sympathies.

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Calvin}}

{{Draft categories|
[[Category:Alt-right]]
[[Category:Anti-immigration]]
[[Category:British people]]
[[Category:British right wing]]
[[Category:Catholics]]
[[Category:Christians]]
[[Category:Educators]]
[[Category:Homophobes]]
[[Category:Internalized discrimination]]
[[Category:Islamophobes]]
[[Category:Journalists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Ministers]]
[[Category:Neo-Nazis]]
[[Category:Political pundits]]
[[Category:Purity culture]]
[[Category:Racists]]
[[Category:Right-wing activists]]
[[Category:Technology]]
}}

Categories: Alt-right, Anti-immigration, British people, British right wing, Catholics, Christians, Educators, Homophobes, Internalized discrimination, Islamophobes, Journalists, Living people, Ministers, Neo-Nazis, Political pundits, Purity culture, Racists, Right-wing activists, Technology