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Rachel Reeves tells foul-mouthed Reform UK heckler good manners matter
TL;DR
Rachel Reeves confronted a heckler during a broadcast interview in Leeds, emphasizing the importance of good manners. Conservative politicians have surprisingly come to her defense following the incident.
Key points
- Rachel Reeves confronted a heckler during a broadcast interview.
- The heckler was a supporter of Reform UK.
- Conservative politicians defended Reeves after the incident.
Mentioned in this story
Rachel ReevesKeir StarmerReform UKLabour
Rachel Reeves surprised onlookers when she gave a stern rebuke to a foul-mouthed heckler who shouted at her from his van as she conducted a broadcast interview.
However, the chancellor has won support from unlikely sources as Conservative politicians have leapt to her defence.
As she answered questions from the media at a petrol station in Leeds after announcing she would scrap a planned fuel duty rise, she was heckled by a man who appeared to be a Reform UK supporter.
As he walked into the station to pay, he shouted: “Get Keir Starmer fuckinging out.” When he left in his van, he continued to yell at the chancellor: “Get Labour out. Get Keir Starmer out. Nigel Farage, Come on, Nigel.”
Driving off in his van, St George’s flags flying, he continued: “Am I gonna get arrested? We’ve got English flags on here, Rachel. Are we going to be arrested? You’re ruining the country. Get Keir Starmer out. Look England flags. Yous are useless. Labour party is useless.”
Reeves responded by saying: “I love our country, and one of the things about our country is good manners. Not very British.” She then joked that he appeared not to have heard her announcement about freezing fuel duty.
Rachel Reeves joked that the man appeared not to have heard her announcement about freezing fuel duty. Photograph: Jacob King/PA
The shadow chancellor, Mel Stride, defended Reeves’s comeback to the heckler.
He told Sky’s Sophy Ridge: “On the point of good manners, she is right ... our discourse around politics should be civil and polite and that’s part of being British and that’s something we should fight for.”
He added, however, that some people were “right” to feel “disappointed by decisions this government has taken” and said Reeves had made a “mess” of the economy.
The Tory peer Daniel Hannan said: “I sense that this is out of temper with the times but, for once, I am on Rachel Reeves’s side. Civility matters in politics and if we stop policing the boundaries, things slide very quickly. I’m afraid I don’t see it as remotely brave to shout at a woman while you drive away.”
Q&A
What did Rachel Reeves say to the heckler during the interview?
Rachel Reeves rebuked the heckler for his foul language, highlighting that good manners matter.
Who was the heckler that shouted at Rachel Reeves?
The heckler was a supporter of Reform UK who shouted derogatory remarks about Keir Starmer and the Labour party.
How did Conservative politicians react to the heckling incident?
Conservative politicians unexpectedly defended Rachel Reeves after the incident, showing support for her response.
