Seven right-wing commentators have been banned from entering Britain ahead of Tommy Robinson’s “Unite the Kingdom” rally on Saturday, after the Home Secretary ruled their presence was “not conducive to the public good”.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood personally approved the decision, which saw the individuals’ Electronic Travel Authorisations either cancelled or refused by the Home Office. The power to block entry on such grounds is held by the Home Secretary and allows her to revoke a person’s permission to travel to or stay in the UK.
The four publicly identified figures are Valentina Gomez, a Colombian-American far-right activist and former Republican Party candidate; Joey Mannarino, a US-based political strategist and podcast host; Ada Lluch, a Spanish influencer known for conservative commentary; and Eva Vlaardingerbroek, a Dutch political commentator and legal philosopher. The identities of the remaining three banned individuals have not been disclosed by the Home Office.
Who are the banned commentators?
Valentina Gomez, who spoke at last year’s Unite the Kingdom rally, had her visa terminated last month despite already holding clearance. During that rally she told the crowd that “rapist Muslims” were “taking over” Britain and urged Britons to “fight for this nation”. Her stances are described as homophobic, Islamophobic and fiercely opposed to illegal immigration. In February 2024 she posted footage of herself setting LGBTQ-friendly library books on fire with a flamethrower. She also released a video simulating the execution of an immigrant. Since the ban, Gomez has threatened to defy the Home Secretary and travel to the UK by small boat. She has claimed that Donald Trump’s White House would intervene if British authorities attempted to arrest her.
Joey Mannarino, who hosts “The Joey Mannarino Show” podcast, has spoken at Britain First events and has been critical of what he calls “woke insanity”. He has been accused of misogyny after stating he would not believe a rape allegation regardless of a court verdict. Mannarino was informed his presence would not be conducive to the public good — the same justification used by the Home Office previously against rapper Kanye West. On social media, Mannarino accused Sir Keir Starmer of being “afraid of diversity of opinion” and asked: “Why does the presence of free speech bother him so deeply?”
Ada Lluch, a Spanish influencer who describes herself as “trumpista” and a defender of conservative ideas, gained significant visibility after speaking at the September 2025 Unite the Kingdom rally. She has been critical of “woke culture”, Islam and immigration. Lluch has expressed admiration for Donald Trump and Santiago Abascal, leader of Spain’s Vox party. She has also described Francisco Franco as “a man of God, whose values were impeccable and who believed in respectful debate”.
Eva Vlaardingerbroek was a candidate for the Dutch parliament with the Forum for Democracy party before leaving in 2020 over ideological differences. She has been a vocal critic of modern feminism, which she calls a “form of hardcore cognitive dissonance”, and frequently appears with American conservative pundit Tucker Carlson. Her visa was revoked by the Home Office in January, a decision that sparked a free speech row with the Trump administration. Sarah Rogers, US Under-Secretary for Public Diplomacy, said: “Countries have been banning and restricting visas on opaque, frivolous viewpoint bases for a long time… media and commentators who were silent or approving of these decisions now fault Trump admin policies.”
The rally and the government’s response
The bans are in place ahead of the “Unite the Kingdom” rally organised by Tommy Robinson — the pseudonym of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon — which is scheduled for this Saturday, 16 May 2026. On Monday, Sir Keir Starmer launched a scathing attack on the event, calling it “designed to confront and intimidate this diverse city and this diverse country”. The Prime Minister said: “That is why this Government will block far-right agitators from travelling into Britain for that event. Because we will not allow people to come to the UK, threaten our communities, and spread hate on our streets.” He added: “This is nothing less than a battle for the soul of our nation.”
Robinson has described the rally as a “beautiful celebration of British identity” and urged supporters on social media to be on their “best behaviour”. The previous Unite the Kingdom rally in September 2025 is believed to have been attended by between 110,000 and 150,000 people. That event saw clashes between supporters and police, resulting in injuries to officers and arrests. Elon Musk addressed that rally remotely and was condemned by Downing Street for using “dangerous and inflammatory” language.
Saturday’s rally falls on the same day as the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium, and a planned pro-Palestine demonstration to mark Nakba Day. Nakba Day, commemorating the displacement of Palestinians in 1948, takes place on 15 May, with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign organising a “Nakba 78: March for Palestine” in London on 16 May. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has previously said he is “concerned” about the scale of the protests. His force has vowed to impose strict conditions on routes and gathering points to avoid serious disorder. Some reports suggest tension between the police’s approach to the far-right rally and the pro-Palestine march, with claims that the force may be favouring the far-right event.
Mahmood, who has served as Home Secretary since September 2025, is associated with the socially conservative Blue Labour faction of the Labour Party. Her appointment was widely seen as signalling a harder line on immigration. The use of the “not conducive to the public good” power is a longstanding executive tool, but the blanket ban on seven individuals before a single rally is a notably expansive application of it.
