Jayda Fransen facts for kids

Jayda Kaleigh Fransen (born March 1986) is a British politician and activist. She was involved with the English Defence League (EDL) but left due to concerns about violence. Later, she joined Britain First, a political group with strong nationalist views.

From 2014 to 2019, Jayda Fransen was the deputy leader of Britain First. Paul Golding was the leader. She became the acting leader for six months, from December 2016 to June 2017, when Golding was unable to lead.

Fransen has run in several elections since 2014 but has not won. She has also been involved in online activism. She led "Christian patrols" through areas of Britain, carrying a white cross. In March 2018, she faced legal consequences for actions that caused distress to others.

Political Journey

Leading Britain First

Britain First was started in 2011 by Jim Dowson. Paul Golding became the leader after Dowson left. During this time, Jayda Fransen was the deputy leader.

In November 2016, Golding stepped down as leader. Fransen took over as acting leader. She left her leadership role and the party in January 2019. Fransen has been described as part of a movement that opposes certain religious ideologies.

In a TV show in May 2019, Fransen spoke about disagreements she had with Paul Golding.

Elections and Campaigns

Rochester and Strood By-election, 2014

Fransen was Britain First's first candidate for Parliament in the Rochester and Strood by-election on November 20, 2014. She expressed support for the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and its candidate, Mark Reckless, who won the election.

Britain First's campaign gained attention when a photo of Fransen with UKIP activists was shared. UKIP said their activists did not know the photo's meaning. Fransen said the activists asked for the photo. She believed the two parties had similar ideas. A BBC presenter, Nick Robinson, was also criticized for a selfie with Fransen. He said he did not know who she was or her policies.

London Elections, 2016

On September 27, 2015, Paul Golding announced he would run for London mayor. Fransen wrote online that their opponents would "face the wrath of the Britain First movement." Golding did not win the mayoralty. He turned his back when Sadiq Khan of the Labour Party gave his victory speech.

For the London Assembly election held at the same time, Fransen led Britain First's list of candidates. However, neither she nor the party won any seats.

British Freedom Party

In January 2021, Fransen announced she would run for the Glasgow Southside seat. This seat was held by Nicola Sturgeon. Fransen and Sturgeon had a tense meeting outside a polling station on election day. Fransen received 46 votes, which was 0.1% of the total. She came in last place among all candidates in that election.

Batley and Spen By-election, 2021

The 2021 Batley and Spen by-election happened after Tracy Brabin resigned. Fransen ran in this election and received 50 votes. She came second to last.

Southend West By-election, 2022

After the death of MP David Amess in October 2021, Fransen announced she would run for the Southend West seat. Most major UK parties decided not to nominate a candidate to avoid using the situation for political gain. Fransen received 299 votes, which was 2% of the total. In this election, and in Batley and Spen, she was listed as an independent candidate.

Wakefield By-election, 2022

In June 2022, Fransen ran as an independent in the Wakefield by-election. She received 23 votes, which was 0.1% of the total. This was the lowest number of votes among the 15 candidates.

Social Media and Controversy

Donald Trump's Retweets

On November 29, 2017, then-President of the United States Donald Trump caused controversy. He shared three videos from Jayda Fransen's Twitter account. These videos were critical of certain religious groups. Fransen reacted on Twitter, saying, "God bless you Trump! God bless America!" She later asked Trump for help with a court case she was facing.

Fransen's Twitter account described her as "faithful to God and Britannia." She had posted over 15,000 tweets since joining in mid-2016. One video claimed to show a "Muslim migrant" attacking a boy. The Dutch embassy later clarified that the teenager was born in the Netherlands and was not Muslim. Another video showed a statue being destroyed during the Syrian civil war. A third video showed people being attacked in Alexandria, Egypt, during a period of unrest.

Prime Minister Theresa May criticized Trump's actions. She stated that "it is wrong for the president to have done this." She added that Britain First "seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives."

Twitter Account Suspension

On December 18, 2017, Twitter permanently closed the accounts of Fransen, Golding, and Britain First. This was part of Twitter's policy against groups that promote violence or use hateful images. Twitter aimed to "reduce the amount of abusive behaviour and hateful conduct" online. Accounts could be suspended if they contained threats, slurs, or incited fear. As a result of Fransen's ban, Trump's retweets of her videos were removed. After the ban, Fransen and Golding moved to Gab, another social media service.