FACT CHECK: Does Video Show Angry British Leaders At Recent Political Conference?
A post shared on social media purportedly shows British leaders frustrated with plans related to a winter fuel cut at the 2024 Labour Party conference.
A joyous moment when David Lammy & Rachel Reeves show their frustration at Conference, when members protest at Winter Fuel Cuts… 😅 pic.twitter.com/SMc8O3suCw
— Rob Boyd, Esq (@AvonandsomerRob) September 23, 2024
Verdict: False
The video is from 2023 when a glitter was thrown on Starmer.
Fact Check:
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told British nationals to leave Lebanon and warned of the possibility of war, BBC News reported. British troops have been sent to Cyprus as a precaution as leaving the country becomes more difficult, according to the outlet.
A post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, alleges that British finance minister Rachel Reeves and foreign minister David Lammy expressed outrage at a plan to cut winter fuel. The short video shows a crowd of people standing as many show displeasure, including one audience member repeating the phrase “for God’s sake” twice.
The caption reads, “A joyous moment when David Lammy & Rachel Reeves show their frustration at Conference, when members protest at Winter Fuel Cuts…”
The claim is inaccurate. The video dates back to 2023. The full video shows a man approach Starmer from behind and throw two fistfulls of glitter on the politician as he is addressing the room before the camera pans to the crowd. The man was a protester from a group in favor of electoral reform and was arrested after the incident, according to BBC.
The moment Keir Starmer was covered in glitter by a protestor as he started his party conference speech…
The man was dragged out by security to a disapproving audience, who cheered the Labour leader on. pic.twitter.com/m75AmpcieI
— The News Agents (@TheNewsAgents) October 10, 2023
Labour Party members recently voted in favor of reversing the winter fuel allowance, Sky News reported. Starmer’s speech was briefly interrupted by heckler but this incident was not related to the video in the post, BBC reported. (RELATED: Was British Prime Minister Keir Starmer Harassed By Protesters Recently?)
This is not the first time misinformation about foreign countries has circulated online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim an X post shared video of a massive fire in Israel.