The best justification for the licence fee Guido’s seen in many years…
Steve Bray has been doing what he does and making an nuisance of himself. On a Today Programme Brexit debate last night, Bray repeatedly heckled from the audience – reheating the old classics of “you lied!” and “Tories out!”. Eventually, his anti-Brexit tirades became too much even for the BBC to put up with and he was booted out. Where’s Lee Anderson when you need him…
Thankfully, Jacob Rees-Mogg was on hand to provide some insightful and characteristically polite running commentary:
“Steve, it’s nice of you to come and join us. For those of you listening at home, Steve Bray stands outside the House of Commons everyday shouting. I’ve said to him many times, he should stand for election if he wants to get his arguments across and he is trying to disrupt us this evening. He’s now being taken out so that we can carry on with discussion.”
Bray has also been quick to get his own side of the story out there. On Twitter, for the few co-conspirators not blocked by him, he’s posted a picture of his bruised nose, described how he was “kneed in the balls” and admitted his “ribs and right side are very painful”. Bray’s beef with the BBC might not end there, while he accepts the corporation was correct to kick him out, he claims “the violence and manner was totally out of order, uncalled for & illegal”. On this rare occasion, Guido’s inclined to back the BBC.
UPDATE: Co-conspirators can watch Bray’s Bruising for themselves here.
They’ve been trading verbal blows for over a year, and now Lee Anderson is really laying down the gauntlet. The Red Wall Rottweiler has challenged Steve Bray to a charity boxing match to settle their differences once and for all, offering Bray a high-stakes, three-round fight for the Westminster heavyweight championship. All for a good cause: Anderson wants to fundraise for a suicide prevention charity.
Speaking on Chopper’s Politics podcast, Anderson set out the rules:
“He had a go at my weight. This is a man who was quite clearly out of condition. I’m trying to do something about it, but here is a challenge. He is a nuisance. And I’ve got a challenge for him: Meet me in the boxing ring. Let’s do three rounds. And if I win, he never protests out there again. And if he wins, I’ll go and protest with him… It is a boxing match, Queensbury rules. Gloves on, for charity. Let’s do some fundraising.”
This has been on Lee’s mind for a while. He first floated the idea to Guido during the summer, at the height of their rivalry, although ultimately decided against it at the time. Looks like he’s since had a change of heart. Bray says he’ll “think about it”. What’s there to think about? Lace up those gloves…
In the latest update, law-breaking nuisance-maker Steve Bray has decided to turn legal fire on Lee Anderson, after horrific, traumatising footage emerged last week of the MP taking the professional protester’s hat for all of 30 seconds. In a statement on social media, Bray said:
“[I have] made a report to the Metropolitan Police regarding an incident that happened on Wednesday 11th January outside Portcullis Hose involving a Conservative member of Parliament”
Guido’s unsure precisely what Bray hopes the police will do, other than advise he stops harassing MPs. In response, Lee Anderson tells Guido:
“I can confirm that the incident was not an acceptance of full time job by this professional nuisance known as Dave.”
No comment on that last jibe…
Westminster’s favourite heavyweight fighters are back for another round, and the latest instalment has lived up to its billing. Lee starts off strong, asking “parasite” Steve why he hasn’t yet found a job. Things then get physical as Lee successfully makes a grab for Steve’s hat – presumably his final Horcrux. Bray’s only response is to square up, calling the MP a “piece of sh*t” as Lee smirks on. Guido makes that 7-0 to Anderson…
Hat-tip: Lee Anderson
It’s the final Twitter bitch fight of the year, and who better to lace up their gloves one last time than two veterans of the ring: Steve Bray and Owen Jones. They’re back for round 2.
Co-conspirators would be forgiven for thinking their inaugural bout back in September would be their first and last encounter. After all, the final bell rang when Bray decided to block Jones entirely. Today, however, in the spirit of Christmas, the prizefighters have given the people what they really want, and picked up where they left off:
Owen Jones is just an insignificant twat to be honest! I wouldn't worry about that waste of space! https://t.co/gSkwnmPRk2
— Steve Bray on Mastodon @SNB19692@Mastodon.Social (@snb19692) December 20, 2022
Far be it for the likes of Steve Bray to hurl an insult like that at anyone. Jones inevitably swung back:
For example, I wish Steve Bray had rightly treated me as the insignificant twat I am at Conservative Conference, rather than bizarrely screaming about me over his loudspeaker and deliberately trying to stop us interviewing Tories by following us around with his music blaring! pic.twitter.com/1LdbOJ2Way
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) December 21, 2022
As always, Guido leaves it to co-conspirators to determine the victor…