Field suspended as minister for altercation with protester

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LONDON: Tory MP Mark Field has been suspended as a government minister for an “over the top” response to a climate change protester he manhandled at a high-profile dinner.Prime Minister Theresa May made the decision to suspend him from his Foreign Office job after viewing footage of the incident, which she found “very concerning”. Greenpeace activist Janet Barker said she had expected some resistance to the group’s protest but not to be “grabbed round the neck” and physically removed from the room.City of London Police said they were looking into a “small number” of third-party reports of an assault at the Mansion House event. Greenpeace protesters disrupted the black-tie event, where Chancellor Philip Hammond was speaking, to demand action to tackle the climate emergency.Field was seen grappling with the female protester at the event in scenes described as “horrific” by Labour.A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister has seen the footage and she found it very concerning. The police have said they are looking into reports over this matter and Mark Field has also referred himself to both the Cabinet Office and the Conservative Party. He will be suspended as a minister while investigations take place.”May, who had been at a summit of European Union leaders in Brussels, is understood to have spoken to Chief Whip Julian Smith about the incident, who then informed Field of her decision.Barker told the BBC she had expected resistance “but not to the extent which I received”. She said: “I expected to maybe engage in a conversation or two with people, perhaps people blocking my way. But certainly not to be grabbed round the neck.” Asked what she thought of his actions, she said: “They were pretty much over the top. We were peaceful, I was simply walking past his chair — or trying to walk past his chair. They were really over the top.”Field has referred himself to the Cabinet Office for investigation and has apologised “unreservedly” to the activist. In a statement to ITV, Cities of London and Westminster MP Field said: “In the confusion many guests understandably felt threatened and when one protester rushed past me towards the top table I instinctively reacted.“There was no security present and I was for a split-second genuinely worried she might have been armed. As a result I grasped the intruder firmly in order to remove her from the room as swiftly as possible.” He added that he “deeply” regretted the incident and would co-operate fully with a Cabinet Office investigation. Field was a minister in Jeremy Hunt’s team at the Foreign Office and also supported him for the Tory leadership. Hunt told the BBC: “Mark has issued a full and unreserved apology. He recognises that what happened was an over-reaction.”Tory MP Sir Peter Bottomley defended Field’s actions, telling the Press Association he had done nothing wrong. Sir Peter said: “The woman clearly was trying to create a fuss. Most viewers would say it’s good that she didn’t succeed.”Senior captains of industry and top City executives were among the invited guests hearing speeches by Hammond and Bank of England governor Mark Carney.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/com/cwEr/~4/psq28v5RF8I

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