Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage has written to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper after MPs and visitors to their recent conference were attacked, with some receiving injuries.
Mr Farage's letter in full:
The Rt. Hon. Yvette Cooper MP
Home Secretary
Home Office
2 Marsham Street
London
SWIP 4DF
HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDON SW1A 0AA
25 February 2025
Dear Home Secretary,
I am writing to you with grave concern regarding a recent Reform UK conference in Camborne, Cornwall on Monday 24th February 2025. Cornwall Resists, a group also known as Kernow Antifa, very publicly stated they wanted to shut down our conference.
They organised and coordinated hundreds of calls to the venue to try and cancel the event. When this didn't work, they held a disorderly protest which led to several people being injured outside of the venue.
I am sure you will agree with me that absolutely no politician or their supporters should be subjected to threats, abuse and violence. We have seen an increase in hate towards Members of Parliament for their views and I was subjected to several attacks during the General Election campaign in Clacton.
My Reform UK colleagues and I are used to name-calling and a few eggs being thrown, but this was Antifa - a very violent and dangerous organisation.
These people see violent protests as being acceptable. Somebody has had their tooth knocked out and a few more people sustained other injuries. These are very nasty, dangerous people. No political protest in Britain should be allowed with people wearing masks.
One of the protestors attending and inciting this violence was Labour Councillor Zoe Fox, who was the Mayor of Camborne from 2023 until 2024. Is this kind of violence acceptable in the Labour Party?
I was deeply concerned at the lack of action from local Police officers, I of course appreciate the work that the Police do to keep us safe by putting themselves on the line, but I feel far more could have been done to ensure the safety of conference delegates.
I am bitterly disappointed with the Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police because the argument that "we don't intervene until things have gone wrong" as opposed to policing being preventative, does not wash with me.
It is astonishing how no arrests were made, these were masked thugs who were intent on causing harm and intimidating people exercising their basic rights. These groups have been egged on by Members of Parliament like Zarah Sultana and others who have posted intimidating images online to try and silence legitimate political discourse.
What happened is completely unacceptable at every level. I'm astonished that Antifa has not been banned as an organisation - therefore I am calling on you to take the appropriate action and proscribe Antifa as a hate organisation.
I hope you will take the relevant course of action and that I hear from you soon.
Yours Sincerely,
Nigel Farage MP
https://twitter.com/PolitlcsUK/status/1894456016466518087
