The man allegedly behind an online “Traitorbase” targeting RNLI workers, charity staff, campaigners and others has been exposed and the revelations raise disturbing questions about the organised nature of the hostility being directed at Britain’s lifesavers.
An investigation by anti-extremism organisation Hope not Hate has identified the person behind the anonymous “Big Time Charlie” account as Tom Watson, a Worcester businessman and founder of recruitment company Futura Energy Group.
The revelations come after weeks of mounting abuse directed at the RNLI, whose volunteers have increasingly found themselves targeted simply for doing their jobs and saving people from drowning.
The pressure has become so serious that safety concerns recently contributed to the temporary withdrawal from service of the RNLI’s Portsmouth lifeboat station.
According to Hope not Hate, however, the online attacks are not simply spontaneous outbursts from angry social media users.
Its investigation alleges that Watson has used artificial intelligence to collect information from LinkedIn and elsewhere about people working for charities, campaign organisations and other groups.
That information has reportedly been used to compile what his account calls a “Traitorbase”, effectively creating lists of people the account considers to be enemies.
Among those targeted, according to the investigation, are people connected with the RNLI and anti-racism organisation Stand Up to Racism, alongside business owners who recruit people from ethnic minority backgrounds.
But the material uncovered by Hope not Hate goes considerably further.
The organisation reports that Watson has written that there should not be a single Pakistani or Muslim person in Britain, described former prime minister Rishi Sunak as an “invader” and claimed that he had “always employed Anglo Saxon men only”.
Hope not Hate also reports that Watson offered to distribute material for Remigration Now, a group campaigning for the removal of non-white people from Britain.
And there is a further political connection.
According to the investigation, Watson has publicly stated that he is “on the ground most days leafleting” for Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain and has said he donated £2,500 to join its Cromwell Club.
Restore Britain describes the Cromwell Club as an annual £2,500 donor membership, with contributions supporting its political campaigning and operations.
The significance of the investigation goes beyond one anonymous social media account.
For weeks, the RNLI has been portrayed by sections of the political right as a legitimate target over its role in rescuing people crossing the English Channel. Yet behind some of the loudest online attacks, Hope not Hate has uncovered evidence of individuals actively identifying and compiling information about people associated with charities and campaign organisations.
The RNLI’s volunteers do not ask the people they rescue who they voted for, what religion they follow, or where they were born.
They save lives.
The question now is how far Britain is prepared to allow online political intimidation to go before targeting individuals who volunteer to help others is recognised for what it is: a serious threat to the people doing some of the country’s most important humanitarian work.
