Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis
I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.
Robert Jenrick has told protesters at the Reform UK conference to “get a life” and reacted to footage of a woman being dragged out by her hair by saying “boohoo”.
Video from the party’s gathering in Birmingham showed audience members pulling the protester’s hair and grabbing her head, with a man then hitting her with a walking stick.
Asked about the incident on Sky News’s Sunday Morning programme, Mr Jenrick said: “Oh boohoo.”
He told presenter Jon Sopel: “We’re now in a country, Jon, where somebody who is – whatever she is – a far-left protester, goes into a party conference, tries to wreck the leader’s speech, and cries foul if a pensioner knocks her over the head with their Zimmer frame, I mean, come on, get a life.
“This person knew what they were doing. They were trying to cause trouble, and they probably got more publicity out of it as a result of what happened.”
West Midlands Police has asked the protester to come forward in light of the footage, although party leader Nigel Farage has complained the reaction amounts to double standards.
The force said it had not received a direct complaint but asked the woman to make contact so officers can carry out further investigations.
West Midlands Police said on Sunday: “Our enquiries are continuing and we would ask the woman involved to come forward. Anyone with any information should contact us on 101 quoting log number 924 of September 5.”
Demonstrators were thrown out of the main conference hall four times at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, where Reform UK held their annual get-together on Friday and Saturday.
They interrupted Mr Farage’s keynote speech, shortly after his deputy Richard Tice had a banner displayed during his own address referencing the scandal around a donation to Mr Farage.
The Reform leader laughed during the disruption and said: “We’ve got a screamer. Oh dear.”
Addressing the conference hall, the Reform leader said, “That poor young girl, she looked like she was going to do herself an injury,” before adding, “boring, boring, boring”.
Mr Farage said on Saturday the criticism was “one-sided”, telling broadcasters: “It’s all one way, isn’t it? I can have milkshakes chucked in my face, be bashed over the head with placards and that’s all fine. That’s absolutely fine.
Source: Read the original article on www.standard.co.uk
Written by https://futureknowledge.in/
