By I. Hansana, Jadetimes News
Two individuals have been arrested following an incident in which Nigel Farage had a milkshake thrown at him while launching his election campaign in Clacton. Farage, leader of Reform UK, was leaving a pub after media interviews when a woman allegedly threw a McDonald's banana milkshake at him. Essex Police reported that the 25 year old woman was arrested on suspicion of assault, and a man was also detained on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker. Both are in custody for questioning.
Farage was leaving the Moon & Starfish pub, part of the JD Wetherspoon chain, to board the Reform UK party bus. Despite the incident, Farage later posed with milkshakes in a nearby village. He had previously been targeted with a milkshake in Newcastle upon Tyne in 2019.
Farage, who recently reversed his decision not to run in the general election, is now a candidate for the Essex seat, a constituency with a history of UKIP representation. He emphasized the significance of having a national figure representing Clacton and criticized the Conservative Party for betraying Brexit promises.
The Tendring district, which includes Clacton, voted heavily in favor of Brexit in the 2016 referendum. The constituency had a notable political moment in 2014 when former Conservative MP Douglas Carswell defected to UKIP and won the seat in a by election, retaining it in the 2015 general election. Conservative Giles Watling reclaimed the seat in 2017 and increased his majority in 2019.
Local Conservative MP Giles Watling criticized Farage's candidacy, suggesting it was driven by vanity. Labour candidate Jovan Owusu Nepaul and Green Party candidate Natasha Osben also criticized Farage, while Matthew Bensilum of the Liberal Democrats has announced his candidacy.
Farage's campaign in Clacton has a distinctive style, resembling a US town hall meeting more than a traditional UK hustings, with strong local support evident. Despite not securing a spot on the pier for his speech, Farage remains determined to secure a parliamentary seat in his eighth attempt.