Five “anarchists” were arrested after the former leader of the Conservative Party, Sir Iain Duncan Smith was allegedly hit over the head with a road cone while on his way to a Tory conference meeting in Manchester on Monday afternoon.
While on his way to the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel shortly before 4 pm, Sir Iain Duncan Smith was allegedly attacked by a group of left-wing agitators with a traffic cone.
Appearing in good health, Duncan Smith told Breitbart London afterward: “These people are anarchists”.
“For half a second I was about to go up and punch them, I went forward and they all backed off – I nearly knocked them out, lost my rag. I can’t tell you very much other than they just followed us, used abusive language, attacked us and used a cone,” the British Army veteran told The Spectator magazine.
“I have to say I would have very nearly been done for assault myself, I turned after them and they sort of backed off and I dropped the cone.
“They were shouting all along and then they smashed the cone on the back of my head and so I turned and grabbed the cone and looked at them and I took a pace towards them and they backed off. I threw the cone on the ground, said “pathetic” and turned and walked off. They were incoherent, they were stupid.”
Speaking at a panel on the state of Brexit alongside Britain’s lead negotiator Lord David Frost, the former Tory leader said: “I’m glad to be here. I can honestly say that I nearly wasn’t here because I was assaulted by a bunch of protestors on the way here… Anyway, it’s good to be here – I can genuinely say that more than the others [on the panel]!”
Footage posted on social media purporting to have been filmed just after the alleged assault showed a group following Sir Iain, banging drums and shouting “Tory scum” at the former Conservative Party leader.
The phrase caused controversy last week during the Labour Party Conference, with the far-left deputy leader of the party, Angela Rayner calling Prime Minister Boris Johnson “Tory scum”.
Commenting on the slur, Smith told the BBC: “They then decided to follow me and started shouting abuse, such as ‘Tory scum’ and any other reason they could think of.”
Saying that he was fine, Sir Iain added: “I am big enough and old enough to know when something like this happens, you just carry on.”
Confirming the incident, the Greater Manchester Police said: “Officers were on the scene within minutes. There aren’t believed to be any serious injuries, and following a short foot pursuit three men and two women have been arrested in connection with it, and remain in custody for questioning.
“Enquiries are ongoing.”
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