Bob Geldof abuses hard working fisherman as his flotilla attracts fury from even his own side
The stunt was a PR disaster for the Remain campaign after Geldof was seen making an offensive gesture at fishing boats steaming up the Thames in an anti-EU protest
Remain backing multimillionaire Sir Bob Geldof was blasted by his own side last night after sticking two fingers up at British fisherman.
Referendum diehards clashed on the Thames yesterday, as Nigel Farage led a flotilla of 30 fishing boats to Westminster — prompting the smug Irish singer to try drown out the protest.
UPDATED WITH THEME TUNE: The state of British politics summed up in a clip of a flotilla face-off
— Kaya Burgess (@kayaburgess)
As the fisherman motored up the Thames, Geldof and other pro-EU luvvies launched a counterattack on a hired boat armed with a sound-system blasting out 1960s hit “The In Crowd”.
In angry exchanges the fishermen doused the Geldof’s vessel with hoses and vicious war of words broke out.
Geldof was later snapped sticking two fingers up and made other obscene gestures, upsetting fellow Remain supporters.
Pro-EU activist Bethany Pickering disembarked Geldof’s boat in disgust, saying “we didn’t expect it would be a billionaire being condescending to fishermen.”
The young Labour member added: “It was very patronising, very much mocking the issue they had, jeering at them, using his ability and his money to drown out what they had to say.”
She told LBC Radio last night: “He definitely swore at the fishing boats — and made gestures at them as well. It just became very negative.”
Addressing the Ukip chief on a PA system, Geldof yelled: “You are a fraud, Nigel. Go back down the river because you are up one without a canoe or a paddle.”
Adding: “You’re no fisherman’s friend.”
In a furious response Mr Farage said the singer — who is worth more than £100 million — was “just disgusting”:
“What multi-millionaire Mr Geldof, did was show his absolute contempt for the men and women that have come here today from right across the UK, asking, demanding to be listened to as their communities are destroyed.
“To see multimillionaires frankly mocking them is a pretty shameful sight,” he added.
Mr Farage slammed Geldof as “deeply ignorant about how the Common Fisheries Policy works” and claimed “it ill befits multi-millionaires coming to drown out ordinary men and women from the fishing industry who have come to have a fair say”.
Tory Defence Minister Penny Mordaunt added: “This says it all, a bunch of multimillionaire luvvies swearing at ordinary people who’ve had their livelihoods devastated by the EU.”
The Brexit backer added: “It sums up why momentum is swinging behind Vote Leave: the sneering attitude of some in the Remain campaign is backfiring.”
A pro-Remain inflatable dinghy sails in front of a flotilla of fishing vessels campaigning to leave the European Union
With them were Bob’s manager Mark Cowne – co-owner of Bob’s management firm Kruger Cowne which has assets of £1.7million - and its MD Adrian Sington, who was snapped on board wearing dark glasses and bellowing at the Leave boats.
Kruger Cowne account manager Anne Brason, 26 – who formerly worked for high-end fashion labels Armani and Jimmy Choo, and was living in a swanky £1.1million house in Wandsworth, south London, last year - was pictured alongside them clutching a giant “In” banner as Bob gave two fingers to the opposition.
Others on the boats included Ollie Latham, a strategist at advertising giant M&C Saatchi who Tweeted pictures from the flotilla – but insisted: “Want to be clear this is NOT anti-fishermen or the industry. It is anti-leave. Personal insults unnecessary.”
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Last night a spokesman for Bob Geldof said “he was very clear that he wasn’t telling the fisherman to f--- off”, claiming instead the gesture was only aimed at Nigel Farage.
They confirmed that the boat had been chartered by PR firm Proud Robinson, but refused to say whether Geldof had stumped up the cash to hire it.
His spokesman claimed that Geldof had spoken to the fisherman about their concerns.
But fisherman and lung cancer sufferer Paul Marchant – who boarded Bob’s boat – blasted the star saying: “I’m dying. I don’t give a s**t but if I had a son, I would like my son to follow me doing fishing like I have done but it ain’t going to happen” .
The dad – who said he only has daughters – called for Brexit, adding: ”It should be that we all have a choice. The government - especially Cameron - shouldn’t be involved in none of this. This is for the people to decide without having them...it’s all one sided.”
Fisherman Richard Harris also slammed the Boomtown Rats star saying: “The Dutch have got more influence and the Spanish have got more influence than us. We can’t change it unless we get out of the EU. It’s impossible. Fishing quotas don’t work.
“We’ve got no quota. We earn £50 a week unless we break the law. I break the law every day. They try to arrest me every day. But I won’t let them arrest me, because I’ve got to make a living.”
In a statement last night, Sir Bob Geldof said: “Look at the facts: Farage is no fisherman’s friend. Farage had the chance to help fisherman in the EU, but only attended one out of 43 fisheries committee meetings.
“The UK gets the second biggest quota out of member states and has the biggest profit of any EU member state. Leaving Europe would be disastrous for our country, our economy, our public services and our fishing industry.”