A NUMBER of Tory MPs have reacted with fury after a group of activists scaled the roof of Rishi Sunak’s Yorkshire mansion in protest at his decision to grant hundreds of new oil and gas licences.
All five suspects who were arrested following the protest have now been released on bail, North Yorkshire Police has confirmed.
Assistant Chief Constable Elliot Foskett said there was “no threat to the wider public” although the force has faced criticism following the security breach.
The protest has resulted in a debate among Tory MPs about the measures in place to stop groups such as Greenpeace from protesting.
One backbencher told the Express: “I’d say shoot them. They are lucky. If they’d done that to an American president what they did today then they probably would have been shot.”
Another senior Tory backbencher meanwhile said that the protesters were “attacking our infrastructure and they should be treated as a threat to national security”.
“It is only because they are linked to climate change and mostly come from wealthy middle-class families that we are not taking more extreme measures with them”, they said.
“If a few were locked up for 20 years for their activities then you would suddenly see a major drop off in these protests.”
MP for Bassetlaw Brendan Clarke-Smith said that some politicians’ homes should be granted extra protection such as those afforded to spots including the Houses of Parliament.
He said: “We may get to the stage where we are bringing in certain laws for people attacking or trespassing politicians’ homes.
“They already do this at certain special sites, parliament being one.”
Tougher legislation on protests was introduced earlier this year shortly before the coronation and was met with strong opposition from the SNP.
Labour MP David Lammy previously confirmed that his party would not repeal the Public Order Bill should they win the next General Election.
Dudley North MP Marco Longhi was also left fuming at the security breach and said: “I’d like to see them (the protesters) live their own lives as they would like to see us live ours.
“No fossil-fuel based energy, clothes, transport or anything else and if any of them have acquired wealth on the back of fossil fuels they should give it all to projects to reforest and protect the areas.
“Hypocrisy is the name of their game – by a long way.”
Speaking to a GB News reporter who arrived unannounced at their London headquarters, Greenpeace UK’s executive director Areeba Hamid said it was a “peaceful protest” and that they ensured nobody was in the house before they started to drape it in oil-black fabric.
“It was planned with utmost care, with care for security”, she explained.
