Polite to a fault, Rees-Mogg defies hate mob who stormed meeting
JACOB Rees- Mogg was targeted by anti-Tory protesters when he addressed a conference fringe meeting about Brexit yesterday.
A mob stormed the session and berated him for his views on abortion and austerity, all to chants of ‘Tories Out’.
Conservative supporters at the Manchester venue responded with booing and chants of ‘Labour scum’.
Mr Rees-Mogg, who is MP for North East Somerset, politely debated with the group, who had branded him ‘despicable’.
Several were bundled out by security, but two made their way to the front of the hall to confront him. One said: ‘Shame on you.’
Mr Rees-Mogg asked: ‘What do you disagree with me about?’ The protester said: ‘With everything you have to say. Abortion rights, women’s rights. Everything. You are a despicable person.’
Mr Rees- Mogg countered: ‘ Well we may disagree on things, but just because you disagree with somebody doesn’t make them a bad person. The two are separate.’
Before he was finally removed, the protester claimed: ‘People are dying because of the things you are advocating.’
Mr Rees-Mogg disagreed, pointing out that employment was at historic lows. The protester replied: ‘Yeah, precarious employment. What are you on about, lives are better? You are ruining people’s lives.’
Mr Rees-Mogg insisted things were improving, adding: ‘And there are so many people in employment and employment historically has always been the best route out of poverty.’
The protester dismissed this as ‘ a categorical lie’ and the audience began to slow clap in anger.
Mr Rees-Mogg said he thought this meant they wanted the meeting to continue, but the protester replied: ‘ I really couldn’t care less.’
He was then bundled out of a side door as the crowd erupted into cheers for Mr Rees-Mogg.
The other protester had confronted the MP over his views on abortion and the alleged profits he made on abortion pills.
He denied the allegations and agreed to meet her afterward to discuss her concerns. Mr Rees- Mogg was speaking at a Bruges Group event on Brexit, which he supports.
He said the protest was a ‘glorious’ exchange of views: ‘We are a free country and we are not afraid of people holding other views to our own.’