Tommy Robinson claims detention by counter-terrorism police

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Tommy Robinson claims detention by counter-terrorism police?

Of the 7 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 71% are rated left, 0% are rated centre, 29% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 8. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.

Is Tommy Robinson claims detention by counter-terrorism police left or right?

Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 7 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.

Is the coverage of Tommy Robinson claims detention by counter-terrorism police biased?

Tommy Robinson claims detention by counter-terrorism police is one event reported by 8 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.

Which side is not reporting Tommy Robinson claims detention by counter-terrorism police?

When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.

Which outlets covered Tommy Robinson claims detention by counter-terrorism police?

8 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.

What did Tommy Robinson claim happened?

Tommy Robinson claimed on his X account that he was detained at an airport by Counter Terrorism Police. He shared a Notice of Detention under Schedule 3 to the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, which cited his real name, Stephen Lennon. The notice stated he was under examination and not under criminal investigation or arrest.

Did Counter Terrorism Police confirm the detention?

Counter Terrorism Police had not issued an official statement regarding Tommy Robinson's claimed detention at the time the reports were published. The incident was based on Robinson's own social media posts.

What legislation was cited in the detention notice?

The Notice of Detention cited Schedule 3 to the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019. This legislation allows examining officers to exercise powers whether or not there are grounds for suspecting hostile activity, and the person detained is under examination, not criminal investigation or arrest.