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Nick Tenconi

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Nicholas Marcel Tenconi (March 1984–)[1] is a self-employed personal trainer turned far-right Christian nationalist thug who as well as being director of Tenco Training Ltd. since 2014[2] has served as COO for the violent fascist street gang Turning Point UK (TPUK) since 2022[3] and leader of "Britain’s fastest-shrinking political party" the UK Independence Party (UKIP) since June 2024.[4] Describing himself as a “Defender of masculinity, Christianity & conservative values,” Tenconi has called for a "middle finger up to the woke nonsense," advocated for the arrest of a man holding a "queer joy is for all ages" sign, and described himself as a "huge fan" of racist murderer Kyle Rittenhouse.[5][6] He also, reportedly, has a criminal conviction for kicking someone in the head during a night-club brawl.[7]

At a turning point[edit]

Emerging from under a rock into the bright lights of Reading local news in February 2023, Tenconi was first recognised for his role in delivering aid to Ukraine as part of his friend Jack Ross's Vans Without Borders effort,[8][9][10] and then for being ordered off the University of Reading campus, when a poll, asking if convicted trans-woman should be sent to a male or female prisons, sparked calls for the TPUK university society to be shut down.[11]

Tenconi (dis-)organised a series of chaotic anti drag queen story hour protests,[12][13][14] where they were regularly outnumbered by counter-protestors, outside the Honour Oak pub in Lewisham, South-East London and a couple of other locations (including at least one which didn't even have a drag queen story hour). The protests nonetheless gave TPUK some national recognition thanks to them attracting the presence of such D-list Christian nationalist celebs as Laurence Fox, Calvin Robinson and Rikki Doolan.[15] Violent clashes with counter-protesters led by members of the local community, reportedly saw Tenconi enthusiastically engaging in threats and physical attacks.[16]

This increased notoriety brought with it calls from opposition parties for Tory politicians to cut ties with the gang, with Labour party chair Anneliese Dodds stating:[17][18]

The nasty party is well and truly back. It’s extremely concerning to see senior Conservatives associating themselves with what looks to most people an awful lot like a far-right group.

Whilst Tory PM Rishi Sunak claimed he was "not aware of the specific allegations" in response to Lewisham Deptford MP Vicky Foxcroft's plea:[19]

Will the prime minister condemn Turning Point UK’s attempts to spread hatred and division in my constituency and across the country?

Done up like a kipper[edit]

Today we celebrate our Indepedence[sic] Day!
Tenconi's Christian-Judeau[sic] values do not include spelling.

Tenconi was elected deputy leader of UKIP in a May 2024 leadership election which also saw anti-net zero campaigner and conspiracy nut Lois Perry succeed Neil Hamilton as the party's dear leader by taking 77% of the estimated 300 votes, with her main rival old school anti-immigration, anti-Europe traditionalist and former MEP Bill Etheridge on a paltry 21%. These (for some) surprise results highlight the once significant party's continued spiral down the far-right conspiracy rabbit hole.[20] A few weeks into her leadership role and the campaigning for the 2024 United Kingdom general election, Perry suddenly resigned citing health issues,[21] leaving the leadership another in the long list of vacant roles in "Britain's fastest-shrinking political party".[22]

Taking on the mantle of leadership (although, curiously, not the official "interim leader" title),[21] Tenconi accelerated the party's continuing slide into far-right irrelevance,[23] cozying up to far-right figures Tommy Robinson, Laurence Fox and Katie Hopkins,[24] and filling the many vacant roles in the party with their acolytes. Most significant of these appointments was alt-right commentator and soon-to-be defrocked evangelical priest[25] Calvin Robinson's ordination as its Lead Spokesman on Everything.[26] Anti-fascist researchers speculate that this continued shift to the far-right might be not be acceptable to the few remaining traditional anti-EU, anti-immigration, rank and file members.[4]

Spot the fascist? Trick question, it's all of them.

During the summer race riots of 2024, Tenconi stoked violence both indirectly, by alleging that the perpetrator of the 2024 Southport stabbing had been acting "under orders,"[27] and directly, by taking to the streets wielding a megaphone and chanting "invaders out" at protests which turned violent outside Downing Street on August 1st and in Plymouth on August 5th.[28] And, even after the riots had petered out across the rest of the country, Tenconi partied on, leading chants of "invaders out, close off borders, invaders out" to the dance song L'amour toujours by Italian DJ Gigi d'Agostino at a small Enough is Enough protest outside immigrant accommodation in Aldershot on August 7th.[29][30]

Running unopposed in a leadership election that required candidates to stump up a non-refundable £3,000 deposit, Tenconi was appointed UKIP's "permanent" leader (despite a constitutionally imposed five-year term limit) by the party's NEC (which under chairman Ben Walker has been stacked with Tommy Robinson acolytes Ricki Doolan, Richard Inman, Stan Robinson and Dean Neil) on February 8th, 2025.[31] A Stop the Isolation rally of Robinson supporters, organised by Inman and featuring such Robinson supporting Kippers as former leader Gerald Batten, party culture spokesman Doolan, and activist and convicted fraudster Dan Morgan rallied outside the Union Jack Club in Waterloo where the NEC was meeting to make the appointment.

References[edit]

  1. Nicholas TENCONI Companies House
  2. TENCO TRAINING LIMITED Companies House
  3. CASE FILE: Turning Point UK Hope Not Hate
  4. Jump up to: 4.0 4.1 CASE FILE: Patriots Alliance (UKIP & English Democrats) Hope Not Hate
  5. Opposition urges Tories to cut ties with rightwing group over ‘culture war’ comments by Peter Walker (17 April 2023) The Guardian
  6. Turning Point Efforts to Export Drag Queen Attacks and ‘Take Back Universities’ Marred by Fringe Associations and Farcical Missteps by Matthew Boedy (15 May 2023) Religion Dispatches
  7. UKIP: Rats desert the sinking ship (30 November 2024) Searchlight
  8. Reading man's trip to Ukraine with Vans without Borders by James Aldridge (16th February 2023) The Reading Chronicle
  9. Reading personal trainer goes to Ukrainian front line to deliver essentials by James Aldridge (17th February 2023) BBC News
  10. Personal trainer from Reading heads to Ukrainian frontline to help civilians caught up in Russia’s illegal invasion by James Aldridge (19th February 2023) Reading Today Online
  11. Clash at Reading university over survey by 'far right' group by James Aldridge (22nd February 2023) The Reading Chronicle
  12. Hundreds turn out to defend London pub’s drag event for kids from pitiful far-right protest by Will Stroude (25th February 2023) Pink News
  13. Far-right group outnumbered by LGBTQ+ protesters in sad attempt to shut down London drag event by Will Stroude (27th March 2023) Pink News
  14. Pitiful turnout of anti-drag protesters countered with ‘joyful’ LGBTQ+ street party by Chantelle Billson (28th May 2023) Pink News
  15. Lawrence Fox and fash friends humiliated in Dulwich (15th March 2023) Freedom
  16. Exclusive: The Truth About the Far Right Attack on Honor Oak by Jess O'Thomson (27th June 2023) Trans Safety Network
  17. Opposition urges Tories to cut ties with rightwing group over ‘culture war’ comments by Peter Walker (17 April 2023) The Guardian
  18. Tories urged to cut ties with ‘hate-filled’ right-wing, anti-LGBTQ+ group Turning Point UK by Chantelle Billson (18 April 2023) Pink News
  19. Rishi Sunak refuses to condemn Turning Point UK over protests against drag events for kids by Amelia Hansford (26 April 2023) Pink News
  20. Conspiracy nuts take over UKIP (15 May 2024) Searchlight
  21. Jump up to: 21.0 21.1 Newly elected UKIP Leader quits (16 June 2024) Searchlight
  22. UKIP in disarray as members “leave in droves” (22 June 2024) Searchlight
  23. UKIP and English Democrats move closer to hook-up (4 September 2024) Searchlight
  24. UKIP – an onward march to the gutter and oblivion (17 July 2024) Searchlight
  25. A Statement on Calvin Robinson by Jonathan Munn (30 January 2025) The Anglican Catholic Church
  26. UKIP opens door to Yaxley-Lennon and anti-Islam, Christian crusade, Searchlight, 14 August 2024.
  27. After the Southport killings – who is responsible for the racist riots? (August 1, 2024) Searchlight
  28. Actors, activists and conspiracy theorists – a guide to the British far right by Ben Quinn (August 7, 2024) The Guardian
  29. Ukip leader and personal trainer leads chants and protesters clash (August 9, 2024) The Reading Chronicle
  30. Reading based UKIP leader replies over 'offensive chants' by James Aldridge (August 12, 2024) The Reading Chronicle
  31. UKIP appoints new leader – and the romance with ‘Tommy Robinson’ goes on (8 February 2025) Searchlight