Conservative Minister Robert Jenrick dismissed a protester who was attacked by Reform UK audience members as "boohoo", suggesting she was trying to cause trouble and got what she deserved. The incident occurred during the party's conference in Birmingham, where protesters had been removed from the main hall four times over the weekend. According to West Midlands Police, the woman involved is being asked to come forward for further investigation, but no formal complaint has been made so far. Jenrick's comments sparked criticism from other politicians, who condemned the violence and accused him of failing to speak out against it.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Reform UK, a British populist party led by Nigel Farage, has been embroiled in a scandal over foreign donations. The party received £4 million from Ben Delo, a crypto entrepreneur who was convicted of a banking secrecy violation in the US and pardoned by Donald Trump, accounting for 75% of its donations last quarter. However, an investigation by Channel 4 News found that Reform UK officials were secretly filmed discussing ways to circumvent UK electoral laws on foreign donations. Two senior officials, Dan Jukes and James Orr, have stepped down pending an internal investigation.
The undercover reporters from Verbatim posed as an American donor and his son who had paid for polling allegedly commissioned by Reform UK and were seeking to channel money to the party. Accepting donations from a foreign company can constitute a criminal offence, and the party has been reported to the police. The Liberal Democrats have also asked Parliament's standards watchdog to investigate the claims.
Farage has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, saying that his party had broken no laws and dismissing Jukes' comments as "loose pub talk." However, the footage appears to show senior Reform figures discussing how to disguise donations from foreign sources, which could be a serious breach of electoral law.
Written for “Farage's Funding Scandal” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 26 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning score +0.85 for article 6050 (high confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-09-07
Video from the party’s gathering in Birmingham showed audience members pulling the protester’s hair and grabbing her head, with a man then hitting her with a walking stick.
asserted
man → show → stick
Asked about the incident on Sky News’s Sunday Morning programme, Mr Jenrick said: “Oh boohoo.”
asserted
Jenrick → ask → programme
He told presenter Jon Sopel: “We’re now in a country, Jon, where somebody who is – whatever she is – a far-left protester, goes into a party conference, tries to wreck the leader’s speech, and cries foul if a pensioner knocks her over the head with their Zimmer frame, I mean, come on, get a life.
“
asserted
I → tell → life
This person knew what they were doing.
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they → know → what
They were trying to cause trouble, and they probably got more publicity out of it as a result of what happened.”
asserted
what → try → result
The force said it had not received a direct complaint but asked the woman to make contact so officers can carry out further investigations.
asserted
officers → say → investigations
West Midlands Police said on Sunday: “Our enquiries are continuing and we would ask the woman involved to come forward.
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we → say → woman
Anyone with any information should contact us on 101 quoting log number 924 of September 5.”
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Anyone → contact → September
Demonstrators were thrown out of the main conference hall four times at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, where Reform UK held their annual get-together on Friday and Saturday.
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UK → throw → Friday
They interrupted Mr Farage’s keynote speech, shortly after his deputy Richard Tice had a banner displayed during his own address referencing the scandal around a donation to Mr Farage.
asserted
banner → interrupt → Farage
The Reform leader laughed during the disruption and said: “We’ve got a screamer.
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We → laugh → screamer
Addressing the conference hall, the Reform leader said, “That poor young girl, she looked like she was going to do herself an injury,” before adding, “boring, boring, boring”.
asserted
she → address → boring
Mr Farage said on Saturday the criticism was “one-sided”, telling broadcasters: “It’s all one way, isn’t it?
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it → say → broadcasters
I can have milkshakes chucked in my face, be bashed over the head with placards and that’s all fine.
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that → have → placards
That’s absolutely fine.
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That → ’ → ?
Read More
“Yet, well, we have a big event that people have paid a lot of money to come to and we get people there trying to disrupt it and we remove them.
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we → read → them
Suddenly we’re in the wrong.
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we → ’re → wrong
Activist group Climate Resistance claimed responsibility for the protest.
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Resistance → claim → protest
In a comment, they said they were “horrified at the violence” from Reform conference audience members.
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they → say → members
The group also said the protester was considering whether to come forward to police.
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protester → say → police
Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf condemned members who pulled the hair of the heckler, but party chairman Lee Anderson said the party would be having a “whip round” for an audience member who was seen hitting the protester with a walking stick.
asserted
who → condemn → stick
Tory MP for Reigate Rebecca Paul said on X: “What a disgusting response.
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Paul → say → X
Violence must never be condoned.
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Violence → condone → ?
Patrick Hurley, Southport’s Labour MP, said: “Robert Jenrick MP can’t bring himself to condemn political violence.
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MP → say → violence
That’s where we are in 2026.”
asserted
we → ’ → 2026
