This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

The Commons Speaker, John Bercow, has condemned Tommy Robinson as “a loathsome, obnoxious, repellent individual” following outrage from some MPs over the anti-Islam activist being invited to dine at parliament.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was the guest of the Ukip peer Lord Pearson at a House of Lords lunch on Tuesday following his hearing at the Old Bailey over alleged contempt of court.

Robinson, the founder of the English Defence League (EDL) far-right group, styles himself as a campaigner against Muslim-dominated grooming gangs. He has convictions for offences including assault, mortgage fraud and travelling on someone else’s passport.

After prime minister’s questions in the Commons on Wednesday, the SNP MP Stewart Malcolm McDonald raised a point of order with Bercow to ask about the reports, which first emerged in the Sun, that Robinson had been invited to parliament, calling him a “violent racist thug and fraudster”.

McDonald said: “I understand that sometimes we have to engage in views that one might not agree with, but surely the fact that a man who is as guilty as he is on stirring up racial hatred, organising violent, thuggish crimes around the country, setting up the EDL and everything that comes with it crosses a line, and such a person should not be invited to walk amongst us on the parliamentary estate.”

Bercow began: “First, I share his assessment of the individual concerned – a loathsome, obnoxious, repellent individual, and I make no bones about my view being the same as his on that front.”

However, the Speaker added, people being invited to the Lords was “outside of my remit”, and he advised McDonald to write to the Lord Speaker, Lord Fowler, for advice.

The invitation from Lord Pearson, who regularly expresses anti-Islam views in the upper house, was also condemned by the Labour MP Wes Streeting.

The Ilford North MP said: “Lord Pearson has disgraced himself by inviting convicted criminal and hate-monger Stephen Yaxley-Lennon into parliament for a slap-up lunch. This country fought a world war to defeat Hitler’s fascism, not to see the red carpet rolled out for the far right.”

Pearson and Robinson dined alongside the leader of Ukip, Gerard Batten – who supports Robinson and has embraced many of his anti-Islam positions as he pushes the party towards the hard right – and Ezra Levant, from the Canadian hard-right, anti-Islam web TV channel Rebel Media.

Batten later confirmed the meal had happened, but disputed the Sun’s account that red wine was drunk.

Robinson remains on bail over the alleged contempt of court. Nicholas Hilliard, the recorder of London, referred the case to the attorney general after the hearing at the Old Bailey.

Hilliard said the decision to refer the case to the attorney general would allow Robinson’s contempt charges to be heard in a proper adversarial setting, in which a lawyer could present evidence and question witnesses to make the case.