JET SETTER
Eco-protester who targeted George Osborne’s wedding jetted off to Thailand after declaring a ‘climate emergency’
THE eco-protester who targeted George Osborne at his wedding jetted off to Thailand having declared a “climate emergency”.
Former librarian and town councillor Shelagh Day, 62, is reportedly a well-known campaigner in Bruton, Somerset, where she and the former Chancellor are both residents.
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She hit the headlines last weekend when she showered Mr Osborne and his new wife Thea Rogers with orange confetti as they left St Mary’s Church having just got married.
Her actions mirrored those of Just Stop Oil who have used orange paint and powder to disrupt sporting events.
The eco group initially appeared to claim responsibility but were forced to backtrack after widespread condemnation from the public and Tory and Labour MPs.
When the approached Ms Day at her terrace home in Bruton she claimed “It wasn’t me”.
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However, locals, including other town councillors, all identified her as the protestor at the Osborne wedding, according to the paper.
Residents said Ms Day was linked to the environmental group One Planet Bruton, who successfully campaigned in 2019 to get the town council to declare the town was in a “climate emergency”.
Just six months after the declaration, it’s claimed she went on a three-week holiday to Thailand, according to a travel blog written by one of her friends.
It’s likely she made the 10,000-mile round-trip by aeroplane, reports the news outlet.
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If she did, the flight would have generated 3.3 tons of carbon emissions, the equivalent of driving 18,500 miles in a typical petrol car.
Ms Day was elected to the town council in 2019, with four per cent of the vote.
She was appointed to Bruton’s newly established Climate and Ecological Emergency Core Working Group.
Jane Durney, who chaired the working group, said Ms Day “never turned up to most of the meetings”.
She added: “One Planet Bruton has absolutely nothing to do with what she did at the wedding. She’s done this as a stand-alone thing.
“In fact, as the wedding was getting under way, we were over in the community hall at one of our ‘stitch-it-don’t-ditch-it’ events encouraging everyone to mend old clothes.
“We are not a campaigning group. We are just trying to encourage sustainable local community projects – like our recent planting-for-pollinators day to help wildlife.”
Another source, who worked with Ms Day during her three-year stint as a councillor said she was “perpetually awkward”.
They said: “Nothing was ever quite right for her.
“She talked the talk but it mostly required others to walk the walk. I never saw her do much. I’m sure she’s proud of herself for showering George Osborne and his wife with orange confetti.
“But, really? He’s been out of front-line politics for years. It was their wedding day. Grow up.”
Ms Day told the paper: “I did turn up for the earlier bit.
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“But I wasn’t there for the actual ceremony. It wasn’t me. I wasn’t alone. I was with my friend Lisa and we left when they all went into church.”
Responding to the question why so many locals had identified her at the culprit, she said: “Well, people get things wrong.”
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