‘A new low!’ Fury at Just Stop Oil as George Osborne’s wedding ambushed

Just Stop Oil has been accused of “a new low” after former chancellor George Osborne’s wedding was targeted. A protester from the eco-group threw orange confetti on Mr Osborne, 52, and his bride Thea Rogers, 40, as they left the church following the service yesterday. The smiling woman quickly fled when she was approached by security outside the 14th Century St Mary’s Church in the Somerset village of Bruton. Just Stop Oil, renowned for its disruptive stunts, tweeted a video of the incident and said: “You look good in orange George Osborne – congratulations to the newlyweds.” But the environmental campaigners, who have recently staged demonstrations at a series of major sporting events including Wimbledon and the Ashes, have come under fire for the “disgraceful” protest on Mr Osborne’s big day. A protester from the eco-group threw orange confetti on George Osborne and his bride (Image: PA) Conservative Party deputy chairman Lee Anderson said: “A new low. If you want to win the public over then I am fairly sure trying to spoil a wedding will do nothing to support the cause. What is going through their tiny minds?” Former home secretary Priti Patel branded Just Stop Oil as “shameful, attention seeking, disrespectful low life”. Dame Andrea Jenkyns said: “Absolutely disgraceful crashing someone’s wedding like this.” Government minister Victoria Atkins condemned the interruption to Mr Osborne’s wedding to his long-term partner. She told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme: “This is a couple, clearly in love, on their wedding day and somebody has apparently taken the opportunity to throw some orange dust around.” The eco-zealots have come under fire for the protest on the former chancellor’s big day (Image: PA) “I don’t understand why an organisation would want to stop other people from having fun and enjoyment. “They achieve nothing other than making people feel upset when they are missing out on the sporting event that they have been looking forward to for a very long time, or indeed their own wedding.” Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said she has got “no time” for Just Stop Oil after recent protests. The Labour MP said: “I have got no time for Just Stop Oil. To be honest, I think it is a bit pathetic and quite tedious disrupting tennis, snooker, other people’s weddings. “If they want to tackle climate change, engage in the policy answers, but they are not building support for their cause, they are doing the exact opposite. So it is counter-productive and it is rude frankly. “People paid to go to Wimbledon, it may be the one time in their life that they get to Wimbledon, they don’t want to be disrupted by a load of protesters.” The smiling couple, who have two children together and own property in Bruton, emerged from the church after the service, which lasted nearly an hour. A grey-haired woman in a floral dress and jacket walked up to the newlyweds and showered them with orange confetti from a Union flag paper bag. She emptied the bag of confetti near the couple before she left after being approached by two men. Around 200 people, including a string of well-known politicians and journalists, attended the wedding on Saturday. Among the guests attending were former prime minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha, former chancellor Sajid Javid and Levelling-Up Secretary Michael Gove.