Home Secretary Yvette Cooper faced a heated confrontation with an angry voter who branded her “two-faced” for distributing mince pies while pensioners are “freezing to death” during a visit to Knottingley, West Yorkshire.
The incident, captured on video and shared on social media, showed Cooper wearing a Santa hat and carrying a tray of festive treats when she was accosted by a member of the public.
The voter told the Home Secretary she would be better off donating blankets to elderly people rather than handing out mince pies.
“I’m just shocked seeing you in Knottingley, giving mince pies out to people. For what reason?” the woman can be heard asking in the footage.
The footage showed Yvette Cooper being confronted while the Home Secretary gave out mince pies
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The voter questioned whether the pies were being given to elderly people, suggesting: “I think you should warm them up, keep them warm at Christmas.”
Cooper attempted to deflect criticism by referring to the festive season, saying: “We do it every Christmas. Everybody’s got different views, haven’t they, but it is Christmas time.”
The voter rejected Cooper’s offer of both a mince pie and an information sheet. “The thing is, you’ve betrayed everything that everybody voted for you for,” the voter told Cooper.
The confrontation included criticism of Labour’s scrapping of the Rwanda scheme and refusal to compensate Waspi women affected by state pension age changes.
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Home Secretary Yvette Cooper PAThe voter also accused Labour of trying to block Elon Musk from donating to Reform UK, after Nigel Farage claimed the tech billionaire was poised to invest millions in his party.
“No, you’ve got more. You’ve cut Rwanda, you’ve cut everything, this is a joke,” the voter said when Cooper tried to defend Labour’s asylum policies.
The confrontation ended on a frosty note when Cooper wished the voter a “lovely Christmas.”
“I hope you don’t,” came the sharp reply from the woman as she walked away.
It is understood that Cooper has been handing out mince pies in her constituency of Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley for 20 years.
While widespread reports suggested the voter was a prominent member of Reform UK, a party spokesman told the Express they had “no idea who she was.”
The Daily Mail has suggested that the voter is a “very active” Reform UK supporter who has previously barraged the Home Secretary with abusive emails.
A source close to the MP for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley declined to comment.