Nigel Farage has drink thrown over him after launching election campaign in Clacton
Nigel Farage has had a drink thrown over him after launching his election campaign in Essex.
The new leader of Reform UK was leaving the Wetherspoons Moon and Starfish pub in Clacton-on-Sea, where he is standing to be an MP, when a young woman in a grey hooded jumper threw a drink in his face then threw the cup at him and walked off.
It appeared to be a McDonald’s milkshake.
He was seen wincing as the liquid hit his face, then wiped it away as he was ushered out of the way by his team.
Nigel Farage appeared to not be too happy after having the milkshake thrown in his face. Pic: PA
Pic: PA
Essex Police said they had arrested a 25-year-old woman from Clacton after responding to a report of a drink being thrown at a man in Marine Parade East at around 2.10pm.
As officers were arresting the women, a second person, a man, was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker.
“Both individuals remain in custody for questioning,” a police spokesman said.
Just a few hours before the incident, Mr Farage had launched his election campaign surrounded by hundreds of supporters after announcing he would be standing as a Reform UK candidate on Monday.
Last week he said he had ruled out standing as an MP. He has unsuccessfully attempted to become an MP seven times previously.
Mr Farage told supporters at his launch the Conservatives have breached the British people’s trust as “they’ve opened up the borders to mass immigration like we’ve never seen before”.
He told them that means “they are finished, they are done” and argued he needs to be in Westminster to push for change in a Labour government.
A new YouGov poll for Sky News has Labour winning the election with 42.9% of the vote while Reform is set to take 10.1% – an increase of 8.1% on 2019.
Richard Tice, who Mr Farage took over from as leader of Reform on Monday, stood up for his successor.
“The juvenile moron who threw a drink over Nigel has just gained us hundreds of thousands more votes,” he wrote on social media.
“We will not be bullied or threatened off the campaign trail.”
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Giles Watling, the Conservative candidate in Clacton, said he was sorry his rival had a drink thrown at him.
“We may disagree, but every candidate has the right to campaign without fear of violence or intimidation!” he added.
Former Conservative minister and lawyer Robert Jenrick said it was “clearly a criminal offence” and said there “can be no place for this kind of behaviour towards any candidate from any political party on the campaign trail”.
Read more:
All you need to know about Nigel Farage
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Nigel Farage after he was doused with a milkshake during a campaign walkabout in Newcastle in 2019. Pic: PA
Mr Farage is no stranger to being pelted with food or drink – it is not even the first time he has had a milkshake thrown at him.
In May 2019, Paul Crowther, from Newcastle, doused the then-Brexit Party leader with a £5.25 banana and salted caramel milkshake from burger chain Five Guys during a Newcastle city centre walkabout ahead of the European elections.
He was arrested at the scene and pleaded guilty to common assault and criminal damage, and was ordered to pay Mr Farage £350 in compensation to have his suit cleaned after the “politically motivated attack”.
In 2014, Mr Farage, then leader of UKIP, had an egg thrown at him by a protester during a campaign visit to Nottingham.
Read more on the election:
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The other candidates vying to become MP for Clacton are:
- Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, Labour;
- Giles Watling, Conservatives;
- Natasha Osben, Greens;
- Matthew Bensilum, Lib Dems.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq over allegations she lived in properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh.
It comes after the current Bangladeshi leader, Muhammad Yunus, said London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be investigated.
He told the Sunday Times the properties should be handed back to his government if they were acquired through “plain robbery”.
Tory leader Ms Badenoch said: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiq.
“He appointed his personal friend as anti-corruption minister and she is accused herself of corruption.
“Now the government of Bangladesh is raising serious concerns about her links to the regime of Sheikh Hasina.”
Ms Siddiq insists she has “done nothing wrong”.
Her aunt was ousted from office in August following an uprising against her 20-year leadership and fled to India.
Ms Siddiq is also named with her aunt in Bangladesh court documents about meetings with the Russian government.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir to sack the minister
Read more from Sky News:
Ten Reform councillors quit in protest
Liz Truss sends cease and desist letter to Starmer
As economic secretary to the Treasury, Ms Siddiq is responsible for policy on both the City and tackling corruption.
She referred herself to the prime minister’s ethics watchdog on Monday following the reports about the properties.
On the same day, the prime minister said: “Tulip Siddiq has acted entirely properly by referring herself to the independent adviser, as she’s now done, and that’s why we brought into being the new code.
“It’s to allow ministers to ask the adviser to establish the facts, and yes, I’ve got confidence in her, and that’s the process that will now be happening.”
Police in Aberdeen have widened the search area for two sisters who disappeared four days ago in the city.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV on Market Street after leaving their home on Tuesday at around 2.12am.
The sisters – who are part of a set of triplets and originally from Hungary – crossed the Victoria Bridge to the Torry area and turned right on to a footpath next to the River Dee.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti were last seen on CCTV in Market Street. Pic: Police Scotland/PA
They headed in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club but officers said there is no evidence to suggest the missing women left the immediate area.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and a marine unit have been trying to trace the pair.
The sisters crossed Victoria Bridge before walking along a footpath next to the River Dee
The pair were heading in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club on the south side of the River Dee
Further searches are being carried out towards the Port of Aberdeen’s South Harbour and Duthie Park.
Police Scotland said it is liaising with authorities in Hungary to support the relatives of the two sisters.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Eliza and Henrietta’s family are understandably extremely worried about them and we are working tirelessly to find them.
“We are seriously concerned about them and have significant resources dedicated to the inquiry.”
The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Officers have requested businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review their CCTV footage for the early morning of Tuesday 7 January.
Police added they are keen to hear from anyone with dashcam footage from that time.
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