Jacob Rees-Mogg aims derogatory term at protester for disrupting his speech

It’s been quite the week or so for Conservative MP and GB News presenter Jacob Rees-Mogg.

After being roasted by Radio 4 Today host Nick Robinson about his viewing figures, and then widely criticised for comments about Brexit and Ukraine on Sunday, he’s now had his speech at the National Conservatism conference in London disrupted by an Extinction Rebellion protester.

To make matters worse for the former Brexit opportunities minister, the individual took to the stage to try and detail “a few characteristics of fascism”, before he was forced off stage by a number of security personnel.

After drowning out the man with a rendition of “For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow” as he was taken offstage and out of the room, Rees-Mogg returned to the lectern and told the audience: “We believe in freedom of speech, so he can have his national loonies conference next week, and he can see how many people he gets to come along.”

The National Conservatism Conference or ‘NatCon UK’, which kicked off in Westminster on Monday morning, is also set to see keynote speeches from Home Secretary Suella Braverman, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove and controversial author and commentator Douglas Murray.

Other attendees and speakers include disaster-prone Tory MP Lee “30p Lee” Anderson, GB News presenter Darren Grimes, and ‘Britain’s strictest teacher’ Katharine Birbalsingh.

It’s all about an ideology that Rees-Mogg and ex-chief Brexit negotiator David Frost say is a “belief in the nation state and the principle of national independence”.

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The official website for national conservatism goes further to talk of a focus on “national independence”, the “rejection of imperialism and globalism” and “more restrictive policies” on immigration which could include a “moratorium” on welcoming migrants to the UK.

With all that controversy, Twitter users couldn’t help but commend the protester’s actions, and laugh at the irony of silencing an individual talking about fascism:

Despite all the concerning elements of this conference – with Byline Times reporting that speaker and historian David Starkey previously had to apologise for claiming slavery “was not genocide”, and US senator JD Vance supporting abortion in America – Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s press secretary has defended Ms Braverman speaking at the event.

“Ministers and members of the party are free to speak at events where they see fit,” they said.

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