NOT LOVIN' IT
Nigel Farage drenched AGAIN as banana McDonald’s shake hurled after vow to ‘make Tories pay’ – with woman, 25, arrested
The new Reform leader arrived to chants of “Nigel, Nigel, Nigel” from hundreds of adoring followers in Clacton
NIGEL Farage was drenched with MILKSHAKE by a young woman today as his general election campaign got off to a soggy start.
The Reform leader was leaving his launch event in the Essex seaside town of Clacton when he was splattered with the McDonald's banana drink.
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A 25-year-old woman from the area has been arrested on suspicion of assault following the incident.
It is the second time the Brexit champion has been swilled - having been covered head-to-toe in Newcastle in 2019.
Mr Farage had just left the Moon and Starfish Wetherspoon - where he kicked off his battle for Parliament - when he was targeted.
A blonde woman pushed her way through the vast crowds before hurling her milkshake at the Reform leader from point-blank range.
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Members of his entourage - including former leader Richard Tice - looked on horrified as the yellowy substance soaked his suit.
While running away from the scene, the woman who allegedly threw the drink told The Sun she did so because Farage is "an ar*e".
She added: "He just is. I don't know why. Maybe his parents raised him that way."
When asked which of Farage's policies she disagreed with, she said: "I don't want to say anything else."
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Two police community support officers confronted the woman as she fled from the scene after they were alerted to the alleged assault by a Farage supporter.
They were later joined by two PCs who formally arrested the protester.
A local business owner, who gave his name as Phil, said he had been getting lunch when he saw the woman get nicked opposite the town’s McDonald’s.
He said: “A bloke came up to the police and asked why they weren’t doing their jobs.
“He pointed down the road towards the young girl and mentioned Farage being attacked.
“The police caught up with her down the road.
“The two PCSOs were talking to her and a male and female police officer joined.
“Then another Farage supporter started trying to get at this young girl, and the police said ‘hang on a minute, we’re dealing with it’.
“He kept being loud so the police knocked him to the floor and he ended up being nicked as well.”
The witness went on: “She sort of just shrugged her shoulders and spoke to the police.
“She didn’t look emotional at all and just stood against the wall while the police talked.”
It is understood the woman was detained and later taken away in a cop car.
Following the fracas, ex-Reform leader Tice lashed out: "The juvenile moron who threw a drink over Nigel has just gained us hundreds of thousands more votes.
"We will not be bullied or threatened off the campaign trail.";
Even his political opponents condemned the attack, with James Cleverly branding it "unacceptable".
The Home Secretary said: "There is no excuse to resort to behaviour like this. We may disagree, but we debate, and then we vote."
Tory MP for Clacton Giles Watling echoed Mr Cleverly's comments, writing on Facebook: "I'm sorry to hear Nigel Farage had drinks thrown at him in Clacton-on-Sea today - we may disagree, but every candidate has the right to campaign without fear of violence or intimidation!"
But the incident did not seem to dampen Mr Farage's spirit as he was filmed holding a McDonald's milkshake shortly afterwards.
He said: “My milkshake brings all the people to the rally."
One pub regular said he was outside when he was hit by some of the creamy ammo aimed at Mr Farage.
He said: “I just went outside for a cigarette and this yellow liquid landed on me.
“There were a few shouts of ‘what the hell’ but not really that much reaction.
“I just think it’s so stupid, what people will do for a bit of attention.”
He added he did not know what flavour the milkshake was but added the young girl “took off” moments after hurling the £2.69 drink.
Janet Allen, 73, who was stood outside to support Mr Farage as he walked back to the Reform campaign bus, said: “He was having to wipe some of it out of his hair and was asking for a bit of tissue from the people he was with.
“But he didn’t seem too affected by it all really.”
When Mr Farage was attacked with milkshake at the 2019 election it sparked a public debate on the treatment of politicians.
Comedian Jo Brand triggered fury for joking she wanted to "throw battery acid not milkshake" over the then-Brexit Party boss.
Dampener on election
Today's saga put a dampener on the new Reform leader''s comeback, having arrived to chants of “Nigel, Nigel, Nigel” from hundreds of fans.
He urged them to send him to Parliament to "be a bloody nuisance" before promising: “You won’t get any woke, PC, nonsense from me."
The leading Brexiteer sent Tories panicking yesterday as he announced he would after all stand in the election and replace struggling Reform leader Richard Tice.
Addressing the large crowd in the seat he will fight for on July 4, he said: “I will stand up and fight for you, I will give you my best and I will do what I have done for the last quarter of a century in politics.
“I will be unafraid, despite what everybody says, despite what names they call me, they are so stupid it only encourages me really, in fact, send me to Parliament to be a bloody nuisance.”
Declaring war on the Tories, Mr Farage accused them of "betraying" the trust of voters, adding: "They opened up the borders to mass immigration like we have never seen before and they deserve to pay a price for that. A big price for that.”
He also promised the crowd: "I do know one thing — a woman can’t have a penis.
“You won’t get any woke, PC, nonsense from me because I’ve always told it as it is and stood up for what I believe in."
Some of the people gathered at the launch told The Sun that only Mr Farage could rescue Clacton from its status as one of the worst-rated seaside towns in the UK.
Longtime resident Peter Tokley, 82, said: “I think we should give him a go. I wasn’t going to vote for anyone but now he’s running we should see what he can do."
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The Conservatives held Clacton in 2019 with a majority of 24,702 in an election in which the Brexit Party, led by Mr Farage, stood down candidates to help then-Tory leader Boris Johnson.
Clacton was the scene of a Ukip by-election win in 2014, triggered by Douglas Carswell’s defection from the Tories.
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ANALYSIS: Like him or loathe him, you just can't ignore Nigel Farage
By JACK ELSOM, Chief Political Correspondent
LIKE him or loathe him - you just can’t ignore Nigel Farage.
For a man who has never won a UK parliamentary election, his impact on British politics over the past decade cannot be understated.
He arguably has the biggest personal claim to the historic 2016 Brexit vote, having bounced David Cameron into calling the referendum to neutralise the UKIP threat.
And his decision to stand down his Brexit Party troops in Tory seats at the last election helped propel Boris Johnson to victory.
Though regularly portrayed by his enemies as a fringe eccentric - or worse - what Farage says and does has serious ramifications.
And so the prospect of him diving headfirst into the general election campaign as Reform leader will have Rishi Sunak in cold sweats.
He is possibly one of the best orators of our political age, and can effectively punch Tory bruises on immigration and taxes.
Yet Farage’s challenge will be to do what outgoing boss Richard Tice struggled to - make the party into a credible election force.
Easier said than done in our brutal first past the post election system, as Farage has previously discovered in his seven failed tilts at office.
UKIP’s performance in its heyday 2015 election? Three million votes - but just one seat.
Can this estranged ex-Tory finally deliver some MPs on election night - or will he only serve to eat into the Conservative vote.
The Farage factor already appeared to be showing results, with Betfair now putting him odds-on to win in Clacton.
And Reform insiders are hopeful that so-far stuttering donations will now come flooding in.
Is he in the business of doing deals with the Tories? Absolutely not. Why? Because he thinks the they are finished.
Speaking to the Sun after taking over as leader and declaring himself readers’ best bet on July 4.
With a glass of wine in hand and his trademark cheshire cat grin, he said: “There is no Conservative Party. It doesn’t exist - they’ve lost already.”
He couldn’t care less if his old party goes to hell in a handcart - as long as he’s in the centre of things.
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