Stage invader brands MPs 'fake Conservatives' at Esther McVey campaign launch

Will Metcalfe
·Contributor
Updated

An angry Conservative party supporter overshadowed Esther McVey’s leadership campaign launch after taking to the stage and shouting the audience was ‘fake news’.

The man,who later gave his name as Graham Moore, accused MPs of being traitors and branded Ms McVey a “fake Conservative”.

The bespectacled heckler grabbed a microphone and shouted, "You are all fake news" at a crowd of onlookers who jeered and urged him to stand down.

"I'm a paid up member of the Conservative Party, right," the man shouted.

As several men then stepped onto the podium to intervene, Mr Moore pointed in their faces and shouted: "Touch me, I'll have you nicked."

A man, who gave his name as Graham Moore, invades the stage at Esther McVey's launch for her bid to become Conservative leader. He branded the audience fake news before being escorted from the event.
A man, who gave his name as Graham Moore, invades the stage at Esther McVey's launch for her bid to become Conservative leader. He branded the audience fake news before being escorted from the event.

Mr Moore gestured wildly to the crowd during the rant as spectators shouted, "get out".

He then left the stage closely followed by the three men who had tried to stop him, with one shouting "disgraceful".

At one point Ms McVey could been seen to laugh and clap at the man as he again shouted "fake Conservatives" at her and several others sat beside her.

After leaving the building the 55-year-old from south east London told the Press Association he does not support any of the leadership contenders.

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Former TV presenter Ms McVey was one of several leadership hopefuls to set out their stall on Monday.

Ms McVey, the former work and pensions secretary, was joined at the launch by her partner and fellow MP Philip Davies.

She promised to give public sector workers a pay rise and boost funding for policing and education.

But the launch was overshadowed by the demonstrator's storming of her platform.

Ms McVey launched her campaign at a meeting of the Eurosceptic Bruges Group in central London, where she spoke from a podium decorated with a picture of Margaret Thatcher.