Nigel Farage has milkshake thrown over him after election campaign launch in Clacton
Nigel Farage has had a milkshake 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 before throwing the cup at him then walking off.
It appeared to be a McDonald’s milkshake.
He was seen wincing as the liquid hit his face, then wiping 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
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 woman, 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.
Nearly two hours after the incident, Mr Farage appeared in front of the Reform UK bus with a McDonald’s banana milkshake and said: “My milkshake brings all the people to the rally.”
Pic: PA
Just a few hours before the milkshake was thrown at him, 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 that the Conservatives had breached the British people’s trust, claiming they had “opened up the borders to mass immigration like we’ve never seen before”.
He told them that meant “they are finished, they are done” and argued he should be in Westminster to push for change from 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”.
Yvette Cooper, Labour’s shadow home secretary, said it was a “disgraceful assault” on Mr Farage.
She added: “Completely unacceptable and wrong. No one should face intimidation or assault in an election campaign. Thank you to the police for responding.”
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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, and 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.
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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.
The UK has re-established diplomatic ties with Syria, David Lammy has said, as he made the first visit to the country by a British minister for 14 years.
The foreign secretary visited Damascus and met with interim president Ahmed al Sharaa, also the leader of the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and foreign minister Asaad al Shaibani.
It marks the latest diplomatic move since Bashar al Assad’s regime was toppled by rebel groups led by HTS in December.
In a statement, Mr Lammy said a “stable Syria is in the UK’s interests” and added: “I’ve seen first-hand the remarkable progress Syrians have made in rebuilding their lives and their country.
“After over a decade of conflict, there is renewed hope for the Syrian people.
“The UK is re-establishing diplomatic relations because it is in our interests to support the new government to deliver their commitment to build a stable, more secure and prosperous future for all Syrians.”
Foreign Secretary David Lammy with Syria’s interim president Ahmed al Sharaa in Damascus. Pic: X / @DavidLammy
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has also announced a £94.5m support package for urgent humanitarian aid and to support the country’s long-term recovery, after a number of British sanctions against the country were lifted in April.
While HTS is still classified as a proscribed terror group, Sir Keir Starmer said last year that it could be removed from the list.
The Syrian president’s office also said on Saturday that the president and Mr Lammy discussed co-operation, as well as the latest developments in the Middle East.
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Since Assad fled Syria in December, a transitional government headed by Mr al Sharaa was announced in March and a number of western countries have restored ties.
In May, US President Donald Trump said the United States would lift long-standing sanctions on Syria and normalise relations during a speech at the US-Saudi investment conference.
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From May: Trump says US will end sanctions for Syria
He said he wanted to give the country “a chance at peace” and added: “There is a new government that will hopefully succeed.
“I say good luck, Syria. Show us something special.”
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