Boris Johnson under fire for Jimmy Savile smear after protesters mob UK opposition leader Keir Starmer
- UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson under pressure for Jimmy Savile smear he aimed at Keir Starmer
- UK Labour Party leader was chased by protesters who accused him of ‘protecting paedophiles’
The leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, was bundled into a police car on Monday after being confronted by angry protesters, an incident which some lawmakers have linked to false claims about him by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Johnson described the incident near parliament in central London as “absolutely disgraceful” and “completely unacceptable”.
It comes as Johnson tries to reset his administration in the face of a series of scandals, including alcohol-fuelled parties at his Downing Street office and residence during coronavirus lockdowns, that have put his position in peril.
Footage on social media showed Starmer, 59, being surrounded by a crowd, who had been attending an anti-Covid-19 vaccination demonstration.
Before being escorted into a police car, some of the protesters can be heard shouting “Traitor!” and “Were you protecting Jimmy Savile?” at him.
That appeared to be a reference to an accusation made in parliament by Johnson that Starmer had failed to prosecute Savile, one of Britain’s most notorious sex offenders, during his time as director of public prosecutions.