Evening Standard Tory MP Mike Freer calls police ‘daft’ and protesters ‘numb-nuts’ in email gaffe

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/tory-mp-mike-freer-calls-police-daft-and-protesters-numbnuts-in-email-gaffe-8972282.html

Tory MP Mike Freer calls police ‘daft’ and protesters ‘numb-nuts’ in email gaffe

A Tory MP’s attempt to placate a group of protesters camped outside his office backfired after he copied them in on an email in which called them “numb-nuts” and branded the police “daft”.

Last week, a dozen members of the Occupy movement launched a protest at the office of Finchley and Golders Green MP Mike Freer, who helped draw up the new law against squatting in empty residential buildings.

Mr Freer’s staff initially followed police advice and gave the protesters permission to camp in the driveway to stop them blocking the pavement outside his office on Ballards Lane in Finchley, which was Baroness Thatcher’s former constituency HQ.

However, they later retracted this and hired bailiffs to force them out.

The group had vowed to stay until Mr Freer spent a night camping with them and he politely invited the protesters via email to meet him to discuss their concerns, which they agreed to do.

However, in an email to office colleagues that was apparently sent to the protesters by accident, he wrote: “I am mightily peed off at the Police. I feel like sending the Bill to the Commissioner saying your fat advice landed us with the Bill. Of course this will inhibit every other demo as we will simply refuse to allow anyone onto our property.

“So tempting to say — you are all numb-nuts as I am not the owner of the property and it is they you should be dealing with about your presence.”

The “bill” was for the private bailiffs who arrived at dawn yesterday to remove campaigners and their furniture. The group has now set up camp across the road and around 50 protesters staged a demonstration last night that was broadcast online.

Protester Pete Phoenix, 43, said: “It isn’t a nice way to refer to your constituents. We have been politely co-operating with the police and we have been very respectful in our protest. We weren’t trespassing as he gave us permission. He has been disrespectful to people trying to have their say.”

Mr Freer said: “The squatters and the camp were disrupting my constituency office and its presence was intimidating. A polite request for the squatters to leave was ignored as were instructions on how to arrange an appointment. It was decided that we had no alternative but to lawfully remove the squatters from the property.”

A Met Police spokesman said it would not be commenting on the email.