Just Stop Oil protesters were moved on by police when they turned up outside the family home of British Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer to sing Christmas carols with a climate change-themed twist.
The protest group shared footage on X, formerly Twitter, showing “carollers” being directed to leave the vicinity of the Sir Keir's house in north London on Thursday.
Demonstrators held signs saying “Revoke Rosebank” — a reference to the Conservative Government’s approval of drilling at the Rosebank oil field in the North Sea — and “No new oil and gas”, as they attempted to sing carols with lyrics changed to reflect political and environmental concerns.
🦺 Whilst carol singing last night, Just Stop Oil supporters attempted to deliver a letter to Keir Starmer.
💬 Listen to the letter being read, and read the full letter here — https://t.co/FQ425oPlrB
💸 Support those in civil resistance — https://t.co/24lffYmdho pic.twitter.com/xVEH0W01tW— Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) December 15, 2023
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After being moved away from Sir Keir’s premises towards a nearby Tube station, a protester read out a letter addressed to the Labour leader, saying he appeared “to have wavered in your commitment to show real leadership” on “ending new oil and gas projects in the UK”.
The letter also said: “How do you want to be remembered, Keir? As the ghost of Christmas past? Or as the man who gave us a future?
“It is time for action, not words.”
The Metropolitan Police confirmed officers attended but said no arrests were made.
The homes of politicians have traditionally been seen as off-limits as protest targets.
However, Just Stop Oil (JSO) held a demonstration last month outside the west London home of Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Asked why Sir Keir’s family home had been targeted, a JSO spokeswoman told the PA news agency: “All of our homes should be places where we feel safe, and know that our families are secure.
“As any chance of (the world) staying below 1.5C of heating died this year, no one is now secure — in Parliament, in an office or at home.”
The spokeswoman said politicians “are planning to make this worse”, adding: “We refuse to let them go home and forget about the day job.”
Sir Keir hosted a Christmas drinks event for journalists in his Westminster office on Thursday evening.
Labour said it would not be commenting on whether the leader of the Opposition or his family were at home during the protest.
The Met said: “Police ordered the group to disperse under section 42 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2021.
“There were no arrests.”
In a video clip released by JSO, a police inspector can be heard telling the protesters they should disperse and were not permitted to return within a period of three months.
Sir Keir was the subject of a protest as he started his speech to the Labour Party conference in Liverpool in October.
The former director of public prosecutions had glitter poured over him by Yaz Ashmawi, who belongs to a group called People Demand Democracy, which is calling for reform of the political system.
Mr Ashmawi was arrested by Merseyside Police on suspicion of assault, breach of the peace and causing public nuisance following the stunt. He has since apologised to Sir Keir.
Environmentalists have targeted the Prime Minister’s family homes in both London and his constituency this year.
Sixteen JSO protesters were arrested following a demonstration outside his west London house last month, with the group calling for a halt on fossil fuel exploration in the UK.
In August, Greenpeace activists scaled Mr Sunak’s North Yorkshire constituency residence in protest against the Government’s decision to expand North Sea oil drilling.
Four people were arrested after they used ladders and ropes to climb on the grade II-listed manor house in Kirby Sigston and drape oil-black fabric over the property.
A fifth activist was later arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance in connection with the stunt.
They were released on police bail.
