Heckler brands McVey ‘fake Conservative’ at leadership bid launch

Dramatic scenes erupted at Esther McVey’s Tory leadership campaign launch as an angry protester stormed the stage and declared her 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, who later gave his name as Graham Moore, 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.”

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.

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.