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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Beth Abbit

'This is not normal': Wigan MP Lisa Nandy accosted by Brexit campaigners shouting 'f****** traitor'

Wigan MP Lisa Nandy says she was ‘accosted’ by Brexit campaigners outside Parliament as she tried to enter the building to vote.

Thousands of protesters were at the Houses of Parliament as MPs arrived on the day Britain was due to leave the European Union.

Ms Nandy said the atmosphere was 'not normal' and said staff had been advised to leave the building for their own safety.

Five people were arrested on Friday as tensions simmered during a Brexit protest outside Parliament.

Many who had expected to celebrate Britain leaving the EU were instead left confused by the latest defeat of Theresa May's plans.

Pro-Brexit supporters stand in the road at Trafalgar Square in central London (PA)

Some cheered when the Prime Minister suffered another Commons defeat as her Withdrawal Agreement was rejected on the day of the slated deadline for the departure.

But others were left fearing it meant a new EU referendum was now on the cards and were frustrated by a delay.

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Some protesters were spotted jostling with journalists and police after planned speeches and demonstrations ended. One group was filmed appearing to push camera crews away from a crowd of people.

The Metropolitan Police said it made five arrests during the protest, including one man on suspicion of assaulting a police officer and another who was wanted for an offence in Hertfordshire.

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Two people were also arrested for assault and another for being drunk and disorderly.

The March to Leave, which started in Sunderland two weeks ago, was joined by Brexiteer Nigel Farage near Tate Britain - less than a mile from Parliament Square.

He celebrated the defeat of Mrs May's "appalling" agreement, saying he would rather have an extension to Article 50 or leave with no deal immediately.

Pro Brexit demonstrators gather in Parliament Square to listen to Nigel Farage speak (Getty Images)

“If there are more battles to come be they European elections or whatever else that's what we'll focus our energies on,” he told the Press Association.

Thousands of protesters gathered outside Parliament on Friday.

Labour MP for Wigan, Ms Nandy, tweeted: "Today outside Parliament I and others were accosted by people shouting f****** traitor as we tried to get in to vote. Our staff were advised to leave the building for their own safety. There were armed police everywhere. This is not normal."

SNP MP Joanna Cherry QC also reported being abused during the demonstrations.

The Edinburgh South West MP wrote on Twitter: “Very relieved to be safely back to my base in London. Was abused by trailing ends of the £LeaveMeansLeave protest as I walked home. Called a traitor. Told to go back to my own country. Such a contrast from £PeoplesVoteMarch last weekend £BrexitChaos.”

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