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An Extinction Rebellion protester has been dragged off the stage after interrupting Jacob Rees-Mogg during a speech to Conservative party activists.
The stage invader cut off the Tory MP as he addressed the National Conservatism Conference on Monday.
The activist unexpectedly joined Mr Rees-Mogg at the lectern, telling the audience: ‘I would like to draw your attention to a few characteristics of fascism.’
People in the audience could be heard saying ‘get off the stage’ as the man was pulled away.
Moments later after regaining control of the microphone, the former business secretary told the crowd: ‘There we go, our jolly good fellow has had to leave.
‘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.’
Extinction Rebellion UK tweeted: ‘This morning, an ordinary person stepped onto the stage and interrupted Jacob Rees-Mogg’s opening speech at the National Conservatism conference.’
The three-day conference will also include a speech from Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who will say more Brits should train as fruit pickers, lorry drivers or butchers rather than giving the jobs to overseas workers.
She will insist there is ‘no reason’ the UK should not train own workforce in a speech insisting overall migration must come down.
A protester was pulled off the stage at the National Conservatism Conference (Picture: Jeremy Selwyn)
But the conference comes amid speculation over a split among senior Tories over immigration policy – with some minister including Chancellor Jeremy Hunt keen to focus on the economic benefits.
Mr Rees-Mogg, a staunch Brexiteer and Boris Johnson loyalist, also used his speech to take aim at the government’s decision to scale back post-Brexit plans to scrap EU laws.
The protester told Mr Rees-Mogg, far left, that he wanted to talk about ‘fascism’ (Picture: Jeremy Selwyn)
The Tories scrapped their promise for a post-Brexit ‘bonfire’ of EU-era laws, introduced by Mr Rees-Mogg and former prime minister, Liz Truss, by the end of the year.
Current business and trade secretary, Kemi Badenoch, said fewer than 600 laws would be revoked, compared to the original pledge of 4,000.
Mr Rees-Mogg told the conference the repeal of EU laws to date was ‘pathetically under-ambitious’.
But he insisted it was ‘essential’ to support the government because ‘the alternative is far worse’ – days after the Tories lost almost 1,000 councillors in a ‘terrible’ set of local election results.
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The stage invader told the audience: ‘I would like to draw your attention to a few characteristics of fascism.’