Police to Take No Action over Comedian Jo Brand’s Battery Acid Joke

The Metropolitan Police Service has confirmed that it will not be taking any further action over comments made by comedian Jo Brand when she joked about throwing battery acid at politicians.

Police had opened an investigation on Friday into the comments made on Tuesday on BBC Radio 4’s Heresy programme. The remarks were prompted by the spate of assaults committed by leftists who threw milkshakes at right-wing European Parliament election candidates, including at Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage. The comedian had said:

Certain unpleasant characters are being thrown to the fore, and they’re very, very easy to hate, and I’m kind of thinking, why bother with a milkshake when you could get some battery acid?

That’s just me, sorry, I’m not gonna do it, it’s purely a fantasy, but I think milk shakes are pathetic, I honestly do. Sorry.

Mr Farage commented on Ms Brand’s joke, saying: “This is incitement of violence and the police need to act.”

 

“I am sick to death of overpaid, left-wing, so-called comedians on the BBC who think their view is morally superior. Can you imagine the reaction if I had said the same thing as Jo Brand?” Mr Farage added.

Scotland Yard said in comments reported by the BBC: “Police received an allegation of incitement to violence on 13 June, relating to comments made on a radio programme.

“The referral has been considered by the MPS and no further police action will be taken in relation to this allegation.”

Delingpole: Farage Demands Police Action over BBC Comic Jo Brand’s Battery Acid Joke https://t.co/NViMwQReVo

— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) June 13, 2019

Ms Brand said during her appearance at Henley Literary Festival: “Looking back on it I think it was a somewhat crass and an ill-judged joke.”

“The current situation is I’m being chased around England and being asked if I feel I should apologise. I felt I apologised for it as I did it on the night. I’m a human being and people make mistakes. I apologise to all the people who I have offended,” she added.

The Telegraph reports that Jo Brand is expected to be back on BBC Radio 4 next week; talkRADIO host Eamonn Holmes remarked: “I would be taken off air” if he had made the same comments.