Greenpeace activists have climbed on the roof of Rishi Sunak’s North Yorkshire mansion and draped it in oily-black fabric to “drive home the dangerous consequences of a new drilling frenzy”.
The climbers managed to get on top of Sunak’s empty constituency home in Kirby Sigston, near Northallerton, on Thursday morning, after the prime minister flew to California on holiday.
After reaching the top of Kirby Sigston Manor using ladders and climbing ropes at around 6am, activists unfolded 200 sq metres of oil-black fabric to cover a whole side of the property.
Talking outside the house on Thursday, Greenpeace campaigner Philip Evans said the activists had made sure the prime minister’s family were not going to be at home before carrying out the protest, which is a response to Sunak saying he would “max out” oil and gas in the North Sea.
Greenpeace said the protest aimed to stop Sunak from approving Rosebank, the biggest undeveloped oil and gas field in the North Sea, the operations of which would be enough to exceed the UK’s carbon budgets.
Regardless of the protest, it doesn't say mush about ministerial security when a whole team of people with a substantial amount of equipment can freely waltz about in the Prime Minister's home.
They may not be competent managing the country, but I would have thought they could at least manage their own safety.
Couldn't organise anything this lot, whether it's basic security for themselves or the people they govern... This should be a huge embarrassment but they'll spin it as 'eco nutters trespassing and crossing the line when it comes to protesting'
The backlash against this is honestly so frustrating. I don't support the blocking of roads but the Prime Minister is 100% a legitimate target and the kind of person these groups should be directing their protests at.
In my opinion, this is exactly what they should be doing. I support them regardless but I feel they should be targeting "them" and not your average person who is just trying to do their best.