Boss of Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists is forced to issue a grovelling apology – after accidentally following Tommy Robinson on X

The boss of a speech and language therapy group has been forced to issue a grovelling apology following a five-month investigation – because he followed Tommy Robinson on X.

Steve Jamieson did not ‘like’ or repost any views of the far-right agitator but still faced calls to resign from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).

The RCSLT appointed a sub-committee which instructed a barrister to investigate the ‘incident’, which likely cost tens of thousands of pounds.

Yesterday, it found that ‘on the balance of probabilities’ this was ‘an accidental follow’ but still ordered Mr Jamieson to publish a formal mea culpa.

He wrote: ‘I am deeply sorry for the hurt, upset, distress, fear and anger that this caused members, colleagues and staff.’

Mr Jamieson said it must have been ‘deeply shocking’ to discover he had followed Robinson during the race riots which swept the country last summer.

He concluded: ‘Whilst I cannot turn back the clock, I have learnt from this and want members, staff and other RCSLT stakeholders to know that I recognise I have let you down and I am truly sorry.’

But free speech campaigners branded the probe ‘alarming’ with ‘chilling’ similarities to Joseph Stalin’s show trials or Chairman Mao’s ‘struggle sessions’ where people were publicly beaten and tortured.

Mr Jamieson said it must have been ‘deeply shocking’ to discover he had followed Tommy Robinson (pictured) during the race riots which swept the country last summer

Toby Young, founder of the Free Speech Union remarked that ‘nobody should be penalised’ for following someone on X

Toby Young, from the Free Speech Union, said: ‘No one should be penalised for following anyone, let alone a key participant in an ongoing public debate. 

‘We cannot hope to solve any of the major problems besetting our society unless we get out of our echo chambers and engage in dialogue with people from all sides.’

Tory MP Sir John Hayes said: ‘There is something rather alarming that lies behind this. I’ve read Marx, I’ve read Lenin, but that doesn’t make me a Marxist or a Bolshevist – I despise them both. 

‘The same applies to social media. To force the CEO to apologise is rather chilling. To read his apology you would think this man had committed a capital offence.’

RCSLT members launched a campaign to oust Mr Jamieson last August, penning an open letter to detail their ‘deeply distressing’ discovery amid the race riots. 

They wrote that it was ‘inconceivable’ that Mr Jamieson would follow a ‘far right member who incites violence against Muslims’, saying doing so was ‘an endorsement of those extreme ideologies.

At the time, Warda Farah, who led the calls alongside 100 colleagues, said: ‘My immediate reaction was one of shock, disbelief, concern and worry, given Tommy Robinson’s well-documented association with far-right ideologies.

‘It was already a stressful and terrible time for colleagues and friends with the riots happening, and the revelation was hurtful.’

RCSLT members launched a campaign to oust Mr Jamieson last August, penning an open letter to detail their ‘deeply distressing’ discovery. Pictured: Riot police hold back protesters near a burning police vehicle after disorder broke out on July 30, 2024 in Southport

Robinson, 42, Robinson, was jailed for nine months for contempt of court after attempting to interfere with a grooming trial in Leeds in 2019. Pictured: Robinson at the St George’s Day rally in April last year

Mr Jamieson responded, stating: ‘Let me be unequivocal. With a life and career devoted to equality and against discrimination, I have not and would not knowingly follow the accounts of racist or far- right individuals or organisations.’

He then suggested he may have been hacked, adding: ‘I have taken steps to secure my account going forward.’

But the members were ‘sceptical’ of his excuses – specifically that his account may have been compromised – and wrote complaining about the response.

The RCSLT’s board of trustees responded by establishing a sub-committee of four board members independent of the executive team to conduct a formal investigation.

It said: ‘After an initial evidence-gathering and fact-finding phase, the sub-committee appointed a barrister, Charlene Ashiru at Littleton Chambers, as an independent investigator.’

Doing so ‘reflected both the gravity of the situation and our commitment to being an inclusive organisation where all voices deserve to be heard’.

After five months, they published their findings yesterday. They said: ‘With the information and data available, it was not technically possible to determine exactly how, why, or when the follow occurred, but on the balance of probabilities it was deemed that this was an accidental follow (as opposed to a hack) of which the CEO was unaware.’

They too apologised, saying their initial response ‘fell short’ and ‘resulted in hurt, anger and disappointment’.

The RCSLT said they should have been ‘swifter, transparent, and more empathetic’ and that ‘looking back’ they ‘may have made many of you [members] feel dismissed or unheard’.

Sharing the findings, they added: ‘We are determined to do better – with concrete meaningful actions that reflect our commitment to equity, diversity, and belonging for all.’

Riot police hold back protesters after disorder broke out on July 30, 2024 in Southport, England

Protestors throw a garbage bin that’s on fire outside a hotel in Rotherham

Robinson, 42, is a former football hooligan with a history of violence who founded the racist English Defence League.

He was jailed for nine months for contempt of court after attempting to interfere with a grooming trial in Leeds in 2019.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, then lost a libel case brought by a Syrian refugee who the far-right thug falsely accused of assaulting young English girls.

Last summer he inflamed racial tension across the country after being re-admitted to X, formerly Twitter, by Elon Musk.

He is currently serving an 18-month sentence for breaching a court order and repeating those claims.

Musk has called for his release from prison, suggesting he is a political prisoner who has been punished for telling the truth about grooming gangs.

An RCSLT spokesman said: ‘We value the feedback and concerns raised by our members, including the open letter of complaint which called for an investigation. In line with our complaint’s procedure, we investigated the X follow, and other associated issues.

‘The trustees take their financial responsibilities very seriously, and the decision to proceed with the independent investigation was made after careful deliberation. The associated costs were tightly controlled and deemed necessary to ensure the investigation was properly conducted.

‘We remain committed to serving our members and learning from feedback.’