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Reforms response to Rachel Reeves’ heckler.

(203 Posts)
Nandalot Thu 21-May-26 14:14:13

I thought Rachel Reeves kept her cool and made an appropriate response to the heckler at the petrol station. However, I am rather surprised at the responses from jey members of the reform party.
Nigel Farage: Reacting on X, Mr Farage said: "I’d like to buy this man a pint. Does anyone know how I can find him?"
Roger Jenrick: He sounds British to me, Rachel! Good for him.
Zia Yusuf : "Could this legendary gentleman please get in touch.
From the Express.
"A future Reform government would like to give him a peerage for this outstanding public service.

twaddle Fri 22-May-26 07:01:30

So many of the posts on here are a distraction from the OP, which was about Reform's response to what Reeves said. Presumably Reformites can't justify what their leaders said/wrote, so they have to distract.

MT62 Fri 22-May-26 07:39:58

I bet she wishes she had smiled as she gave him the middle finger, but that wouldn’t be very British, or lady like of her 🤣

MT62 Fri 22-May-26 07:49:06

JPB123

I really dislike Reform.What a horrible,bunch.

Just like the Labour mp then, who was punching hell out of some guy lying in the street. Now that was disgraceful.
I couldn’t see NF, rolling round in the gutter scrapping 😳

MT62 Fri 22-May-26 07:51:46

Magenta8

The account I read reported that the man yelled f*****g Starmer among other things.

It is not about right or left wing bias. I would be just as critical if representatives of the Labour party, Lib Dems or the Greens condoned a left wing van man's loutish behaviour.

I never heard him shout the F-word. I’ll have to re watch with the subs on.

MT62 Fri 22-May-26 07:55:18

twaddle

So many of the posts on here are a distraction from the OP, which was about Reform's response to what Reeves said. Presumably Reformites can't justify what their leaders said/wrote, so they have to distract.

Yes really they should have kept their thoughts to themselves.
Doesn’t do them any favours.

Calendargirl Fri 22-May-26 07:55:50

Kandinsky

Does anyone remember John Prescott punching a heckler?

Tony Blair was left to justify it by shrugging and saying “John is John!”

Precisely!

MT62 Fri 22-May-26 07:57:38

Maremia

I don't think any woman deserves hassle.

Or any man. I am not keen on kS but I hate when they sing that song that he’s a W—ker.

Vintagewhine Fri 22-May-26 08:05:07

I wonder if Christopher Harborne will send her £5 million to provide personal security. If he does I'm sure she'll declare it. Reform has publicly approved of verbal abuse to elected MPs. Really not a wise move.

twaddle Fri 22-May-26 08:12:33

MT62

twaddle

So many of the posts on here are a distraction from the OP, which was about Reform's response to what Reeves said. Presumably Reformites can't justify what their leaders said/wrote, so they have to distract.

Yes really they should have kept their thoughts to themselves.
Doesn’t do them any favours.

I agree.

twaddle Fri 22-May-26 08:13:13

MT62

I bet she wishes she had smiled as she gave him the middle finger, but that wouldn’t be very British, or lady like of her 🤣

No, I think she showed that she's the better person.

Wyllow3 Fri 22-May-26 08:18:21

Calendargirl

Kandinsky

Does anyone remember John Prescott punching a heckler?

Tony Blair was left to justify it by shrugging and saying “John is John!”

Precisely!

He should have been charged. That was 25 years ago. He would now.

AGAA4 Fri 22-May-26 08:23:16

The man was obviously a Reform voter so misogyny is a necessary qualification. If Reeves was a bit rattled it's understandable if a lout was shouting abuse at her.

Chocolatelovinggran Fri 22-May-26 08:33:08

I do not heckle people in public for doing their job and regard it as unacceptable for anyone else to do this, whether at a shop, petrol station, or doctor surgery. Why would anyone condone such behaviour?
According to some posters, this means that I have " called for the guillotine" , am, potentially a " lefty woke green" and am prone to " a fit of the vapours" : hyperbole, much?

Wyllow3 Fri 22-May-26 08:45:18

Using hyperbole is in the end ineffective. It lets off steam, but trips itself over as it is clearly so OTT.
It occurs that the accusation "Woke" is now so outdated it's lost its meaning. its one of those terms that starts off as a viable description

first - "we are woke aka "awake" to this or that social phenomena. (It was actually started in the 1930's (done research) mainly in the USA as a term specifically regarding being aware of the then extremely considerable racism)

second - because some of those claiming the term can be identified as over egging a pudding, it then becomes a tool to mock

third - it gets applied so widely as an insult, it sort of wears out as being effective as it's far too non specific.

Kandinsky Fri 22-May-26 09:09:05

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Grantanow Fri 22-May-26 09:14:11

Heckling has a long history in UK politics. I recall a meeting addressed by Roy Jenkins in which he was heckled and was robust in responding.

Reeve's summer giveaways are little more than distracting gimmicks.

Chestnut Fri 22-May-26 10:15:00

Heckling the Chancellor of the Exchequer (male or female) in public (surrounded by other people) has nothing to do with misogyny or verbal abuse of women in the street, or indeed any other crime against women. It's a member of the public taking the opportunity to make a political statement, and boy did he get his point across! It went viral. 😂

Mollygo Fri 22-May-26 10:42:21

Message withdrawn as it quotes a deleted post.

Cardamom Fri 22-May-26 10:53:52

Heckling the Chancellor of the Exchequer (male or female) in public (surrounded by other people) has nothing to do with misogyny or verbal abuse of women in the street, or indeed any other crime against women. It's a member of the public taking the opportunity to make a political statement, and boy did he get his point across! It went viral.

We still have, for the moment at least, the right to heckle our politicians, no matter which party they represent. I'm minded of the heckler who threw a milkshake over Farage in 2024 for which she received a fine and a suspended sentence. But all this chap did was shout at Reeves; no assault, no threats and no offensive language. So what's the problem?

twaddle Fri 22-May-26 10:56:43

Cardamom

^Heckling the Chancellor of the Exchequer (male or female) in public (surrounded by other people) has nothing to do with misogyny or verbal abuse of women in the street, or indeed any other crime against women. It's a member of the public taking the opportunity to make a political statement, and boy did he get his point across! It went viral.^

We still have, for the moment at least, the right to heckle our politicians, no matter which party they represent. I'm minded of the heckler who threw a milkshake over Farage in 2024 for which she received a fine and a suspended sentence. But all this chap did was shout at Reeves; no assault, no threats and no offensive language. So what's the problem?

The problem is Reform's response to the way Reeves reacted.

foxie48 Fri 22-May-26 11:05:25

"The problem is Reform's response to the way Reeves reacted"

Absolutely right. Reform has just given their supporters a green light to go out and verbally abuse their opponents. Any decent politician (or person) would have said that they did not encourage the verbal abuse of their political opponents.

fwiw The Labour MP who punched someone in a drunken brawl was prosecuted and suspended immediately from the labour party and quite right too!

LemonJam Fri 22-May-26 11:54:03

"The problem is Reform's response to the way Reeves reacted"

Absolutely agree. But Reform leaders condone such comments when they should be saying it's not acceptable.

Cossy Fri 22-May-26 11:58:26

Vintagewhine

I wonder if Christopher Harborne will send her £5 million to provide personal security. If he does I'm sure she'll declare it. Reform has publicly approved of verbal abuse to elected MPs. Really not a wise move.

I agree. I also agree Reform’s response is pretty awful, but exactly what I expect of them.

Cossy Fri 22-May-26 11:58:53

foxie48

"The problem is Reform's response to the way Reeves reacted"

Absolutely right. Reform has just given their supporters a green light to go out and verbally abuse their opponents. Any decent politician (or person) would have said that they did not encourage the verbal abuse of their political opponents.

fwiw The Labour MP who punched someone in a drunken brawl was prosecuted and suspended immediately from the labour party and quite right too!

👍👍👏👏

GrannyGravy13 Fri 22-May-26 12:10:06

Grantanow

Heckling has a long history in UK politics. I recall a meeting addressed by Roy Jenkins in which he was heckled and was robust in responding.

Reeve's summer giveaways are little more than distracting gimmicks.

I totally agree with your entire post 👍