In a statement on the EDL website, Tommy (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) announces that an "interim steering executive" will be appointed - by himself - to run the EDL. Tommy and his strange friend Kev "internet porn" Carroll will sit on the executive as permanent members to guide the organisation. There is a brief sop to democracy as Tommy hopes that an elected executive will "eventually" be voted in - but having made sure that he and Kev will be permanent members, he isn't taking any chances that his grip on the organisation will be loosened.

Tommy mentions that the EDL's controversial merchandising arm, long suspected by many in the organisation to be a tasty cash cow for Tommy and his cronies, has been rebuilt. Tommy certainly won't want to lose control of that, as he's done quite well out of selling hoodies to gullible punters who wish they were in the army and don't like muslims. The EDl's stated purpose is fighting extreme islam, but they haven't been very good at that: in fact, they surely feed the growth of militancy in islamic communities by giving imams the stereotypical aggressive crusader racism that contributes to a feeling of persecution - the first step to radicalisation. Jihad needs obvious enemies to help it grow, and a gang of drunken, allah-insulting racists invading asian areas is a lot more immediate (albeit politically much less important) than "western imperialism" to your average young British muslim.

So, the EDL is counter-productive in fighting islamic militancy; so, what IS is for? It certainly feeds inter-communal distrust and encourages racism, which is very ueful to the far right in general. It's not much of an exaggeration to say that the merchandising is the EDL's main purpose - along with acting as a springboard to Tommy's ego-stroking entry into fascist politics via the fledgling British Freedom Party, of which he and Kev are now co-Vice Chairmen (and in which, oddly, Tommy prefers to be called Stephen Lennon).

This restructuring represents a repositioning by Tommy/Stephen - he is personally seeking to enter more mainstream politics via British Freedom, and is moving away from the day-to-day running of the EDL. However, he will never relinquish his control over the EDL, especially where merchandising and money are involved. Tommy/Stephen wants to have his cake and eat it, to be both a fascist politician in British Freedom and to be a "street general" in the EDL - but with less of the hands-on stuff. The EDL are declining as many footsoldiers realise the futility of getting pushed around in police kettles in cities where nearly no-one wants them to be anyway (and Bristol is the best example of that yet - good timing lads!). Tommy/Stephen knows this, and he's aiming to jump the sinking ship whilst selling the image of the brave captain on the bridge - with the merchandising cash in his pockets. Fascist leaders have certain traits in common, and pathological self-serving ambition coupled with a total lack of scruples is near the top of the list. Tommy/Stephen fits the mould.