Jacob Rees-Mogg has been chased and heckled by protesters in Birmingham where the Conservative Party conference is under way.
The Business Secretary faced a hostile reception as he crossed Victoria Square in the city centre, where hundreds of demonstrators had gathered to vent their anger at the Government.
Escorted by several police officers, Mr Rees-Mogg was pursued by a loudly booing and jeering crowd, some of whom shouted “Tory scum”, as he headed towards his party’s annual gathering at the nearby International Convention Centre.
Mr Rees-Mogg played down the protests as a “fact of democracy”.
Speaking to Sky News while being led through the crowd by police, he said: “There have been protests at Tory conferences since time immemorial, it’s nothing new.
“It’s a fact of democracy.
“They’re shouting but it’s perfectly peaceful.
“And the right to peaceful expression of your view is fundamental to our constitution.”
His appointment has been criticised by environmental groups due to his criticism of “climate alarmism” and support for fracking.
Mick, who followed the minister with a placard that read “Tory lies kill”, said he joined the rally because “I hate the Tories”.
The 58-year-old, from Birmingham, who did not want to give his surname, described Prime Minister Liz Truss’s mini-budget as “disastrous for normal people”.
He told the PA news agency: “It’s just the start though – the next step is, to balance the books again, they’re going to cut public services even further. They disgust me.”
Video showed Tory MP Michael Fabricant being accosted by protesters outside the conference, although he rejected claims on social media that he was pushed.
“No-one touched me. Just shouted abuse,” Mr Fabricant tweeted.
“So for clarity, I was not pushed or shoved, nor did I fall over. As far as I could see, the crowd was noisy but self-disciplined.”
West Midlands Police said on Sunday that no arrests had been made in relation to any disorder.
“Thousands of people supporting a variety of causes have exercised their right to protest in the city centre,” the force said.
“We are aware that a Conservative MP was confronted by protesters when walking through the city earlier today.
“Officers who were in the area at the time liaising with protesters quickly helped guide him to the conference venue due to the large number of people who had gathered.
