Something inside so wrong: Labi Siffre tells Tommy Robinson to stop using anti-apartheid anthem

Siffre says he wrote the song in 1984 because he felt compelled to say something about apartheid. Photograph: Shutterstock

For decades, Labi Siffre’s hit (Something Inside) So Strong has been a global anthem against apartheid. It was inspired by a documentary about apartheid-era South Africa, and was widely reported to be Nelson Mandela’s favourite song.

But now the singer-songwriter has taken the step of issuing Tommy Robinson with a cease and desist order after the far-right activist incorporated the song into his social media posts and used it at the recent “unite the kingdom” rally in central London.