Robert Jenrick Praises Attacker At Party Conference

A Reform-supporting pensioner who attacked a female heckler at the party’s conference last week “should be given a medal”, Robert Jenrick has said.

The woman was set upon by the crowd after disrupting Nigel Farage’s keynote speech at the Birmingham event.

His address was interrupted by multiple demonstrators, reportedly from activist group Climate Resistance, all of whom were removed by security staff.

Footage filmed by people in the crowd showed one female protester having her hair pulled and being hit by one elderly attendee’s walking stick.

Appearing on Talk TV, Jenrick, who is Reform’s Treasury spokesman, was asked by presenter Peter Cardwell if he would apologise to the woman.

He said: “I’m not going to apologise. It’s an occupational if you’re a professional protester who goes into conferences, tries to disrupt the speech of the leader.

“Remember, this is a leader whose life has been threatened in recent times.”

Asked if it was reasonable for the woman to be hit in the face with a crutch, Jenrick replied: “Come on. A professional protester is moaning that an old age pensioner knocked her with a crutch. It’s completely and utter ridiculous.”

When Cardwell asked if he had “not a smidgeon of sympathy” for the woman, Jenrick said: “I don’t have any sympathy for her.

“In fact, I’m sorry for the OAP who’s had his picture plastered all over the papers. He should be given a medal for what he did.”

Jenrick has previously been criticised for his response to the incident.

Asked about it on Sky News last Sunday, he said: “Oh, boo-hoo.”

After being shown the video footage, Jenrick said: “We’re now in a country where, whatever she is, a far-left protester, goes into party conference, tries to wreck the leader’s speech and cries foul if a pensioner knocks her over the head with a zimmer frame. “I mean, come on, get a life.”

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.