Pauline Hanson's highly publicised meetings with controversial far-right figures in the UK are part of a deliberate strategy to drive international eyeballs to her content and build a global brand, according to far-right experts. The One Nation leader is visiting the UK on a "fact-finding mission" with her chief of staff, James Ashby, meeting a string of divisive personalities.
Meetings with Far-Right Figures
Hanson's meet-and-greets have included pop-star-turned-radical-right royalty Holly Valance, Reform UK officials, and far-right activist and convicted criminal Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. Hanson will also feature in an upcoming long-form podcast with Robinson.
Yaxley-Lennon is an anti-Islamic far-right political activist known for his role in major UK anti-immigration marches and is a vocal supporter of Russia, including its invasion of Ukraine. He has a lengthy criminal record, including a five-year stalking protection order and two convictions for contempt of court. In 2024, he was jailed for repeating false claims about a 15-year-old Syrian refugee in defiance of a court injunction.
Deliberate Digital Strategy
Hanson's decision to appear on Robinson's podcast follows his appearance on Karl Stefanovic's podcast in June, which led to Channel Nine severing ties with Stefanovic. One Nation re-published that interview on its social media channels after it was removed from other platforms.
Dr Imogen Richards, a criminology researcher at Deakin University, said announcing or appearing on podcasts with contentious counterparts is akin to a "pseudo event" designed for publicity. "The aim of these types of manoeuvres by more fringe political actors is to shift the Overton window and move the parameters of public political debate rightward," she said.
Building International Alliances
Richards noted that Hanson's rise in popularity means her decisions between now and the federal election cannot be ignored. "What [Hanson's] doing is building international far-right alliances and signposting them," she said.
Researchers for the anti-fascist group White Rose Society said the meetings serve the "attention economy" with a shared hostility aimed at "the normalisation of violence against non-white people." A spokesperson said: "We think in reporting on this, it's important to identify the agenda that the people involved are trying to push and avoid furthering it."
Negative Coverage as Benefit
Dr Kurt Sengul, a far-right researcher at Macquarie University, said One Nation does not mind generating negative headlines as it plays into its victim narrative against establishment media and politics. "Unlike mainstream parties, who do everything possible to avoid controversy and scandal, far-right parties actively seek scandal and controversy and actively derive benefit from even negative coverage," he said.
Sengul highlighted One Nation's content creation strategy as effective, publishing popular videos that reach millions of otherwise apathetic or apolitical voters. "I think it's an under-appreciated aspect of One Nation's rise," he said. "A big part of One Nation's success is that the media consistently since 1996 have provided her and her party with disproportionate media coverage on platforms relative to their electoral footprint."
Media's Role
Jordan McSwiney, an expert in far-right politics at the University of Canberra, said he would have once urged media not to cover One Nation's stunts, but with her rise in popularity, "the horse has bolted." He advised politicians and mainstream media to focus on explaining who these figures are behind the scenes. "Don't tell the story that Tommy Robinson wants you to tell," he said.
The opposition leader, Angus Taylor, warned disaffected voters who "feel like lighting a match" that supporting One Nation "isn't worth the eternity of pain that will follow." He told ABC radio: "They're a one-person show. Their policies are incoherent."
