UK far-right activist Tommy Robinson claims that “76 per cent of Pakistanis in Bradford marry their first cousins.”
A video posted online featuring UK far-right activist Tommy Robinson has gained widespread attention. In it, he is claiming that cousin marriages within the British Pakistani community are responsible for a large share of birth defects in the UK. The video, filled with strong remarks and controversial statistics, has triggered intense backlash and debate across social media.
In the video shared on X (formerly Twitter), Robinson claims that “76 per cent of Pakistanis in Bradford marry their first cousins.” He further says that British Pakistanis, who make up around 3% of the UK’s population, account for “33 per cent of birth defects.” He blames the practice on Islamic history as he claimed that it puts pressure on the country’s healthcare system.
“They are being born and retarded. It’s costing us a fortune. It’s costing the economy a fortune. It’s billions and billions because Muhammad married his cousin. Well, don’t care for what Muhammad did in the seventh century because he was a barbarian wall. It’s no longer right. It’s never been right, and it has to stop in Great Britain,” he added.
Tommy Robinson tells it like it is:
“Pakistanis make up 3% of the UK population. They are responsible for 33% of birth defects. They are being born retarded.
It’s costing the economy billions and billions because Mohammed married his cousin.”
Ban cousin marriage! pic.twitter.com/tP6FBsUzwP
— Dr. Maalouf (@realMaalouf) July 6, 2025
Social Media Reacts
While many supported him, there was also widespread backlash, with several users calling out the language used and questioning the accuracy of the statistics.
One user wrote, “This is a mix of distorted stats and open racism. Yes, cousin marriage can raise risks, but reducing an entire group to slurs like ‘retarded’ is vile. If it’s about health, focus on awareness, not hate.”
Another comment pointed out, “Stats stated are misrepresented.”
Grok Fact-Check
When one user asked to verify Robinson’s claims, Grok, an AI chatbot by xAI, said the 76 per cent figure for cousin marriages in Bradford is “exaggerated.” It cited the Born in Bradford study, which found that around 60 per cent of marriages were between cousins from 2007 to 2010, which dropped to 46 per cent by 2016–2019.
But the AI citing UK NHS (National Health Service) and academic research confirmed that British Pakistanis, who roughly 3 per cent of the population, account for 30–33 per cent of genetic birth defects, which is linked to cousin marriages.