Police stop Reform UK van that shows Kemi Badenoch as a clown outside Tory conference
A Reform UK-sponsored campaign van has been stopped by police outside the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham.
Photographs shared with GB News showed the Iveco vehicle parked between a police car and bike in the middle of Birmingham.
The van, which carried the message “Tory Top Trumps”, depicted members of Kemi Badenoch’s Shadow Cabinet as clowns.
Reform UK intended for the stunt to show the continuity of top Conservative figures who served under previous Tory Prime Ministers.
However, GB News now understands West Midlands Police stopped the vehicle this morning.
A Reform UK spokesman said: “Once again this whole episode shows the warped priorities of the police.
“Instead of catching criminals, they’re busy trying to make sure the Tories don’t get upset at their own record in office.”
The van included text saying "same circus, same clowns" alongside an image of Kemi Badenoch dressed as a clown.
It added: "92 per cent of Kemi's Shadow Cabinet served in 14 years of failed Tory Governments."
The other side of the van showed mock-up versions of Top Trumps cards, highlighting years spent as a frontbencher and other elements of their recent record.
Deputy Tory leader Alex Burghart, Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith and Shadow Business Secretary Claire Coutinho were included on the list.
Another set of cards depicted Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy and Shadow Foreign Secretary Tom Tugendhat as clowns.
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The advert added: "22 of the 26 members of Kemi Badenoch's Shadow Cabinet served in 14 years of failed Tory Governments."
Commenting on the Reform UK-sponsored advertisement van, Lee Anderson said: “Kemi Badenoch is trying to pull the wool over our eyes, but in reality she is a puppet who is too weak to change the Tory party.
“Her shadow cabinet is filled to the brim with the same people who brought this country to the brink during their 14 years in government.
“Not even their new Iron Dome will save them from oblivion.”
However, the van was stopped after West Midlands Police ramped up its presence in the city centre ahead of the Conservative Party Conference.
High-visibility patrols, including armed officers, have been deployed around the ICC as part of Operation Pelkin, alongside a cordon and specialist firearms unit.
Road closures on Broad Street will remain in place until the conference closes tomorrow afternoon.
Sponsored vans regularly appear outside conferences as rival parties try to take the limelight away from the event.
The Conservatives deployed their very own "Welfare Party" attack advert outside Labour's annual conference in Liverpool.
The message was emblazoned across vans driving around the ACC.
It included a quote from Andy Burnham which stressed national security “can’t come at the expense of social security”.
GB News has approached West Midlands Police for comment.
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