A protester who threw glitter over Sir Keir Starmer and grabbed him ahead of his speech at the Labour Party conference has admitted he “crossed the line” and apologised.
Yaz Ashmawi said it was “horrible” he made the Labour leader feel in danger as he prepared to give his keynote address in Liverpool on Tuesday.
The storming of the stage by the activist prompted boos and looks of concern from members of the audience.
The incident reignited questions about the safety of politicians, particularly such a high-profile one who could be the next prime minister.
Speaking to the Politics Uncensored podcast on Fubar Radio, Mr Ashmawi said: “The thought that, even for a moment, he felt that he was in danger is horrible to think about.
“I think it is absolutely fine to pour glitter on someone and to go onto the stage. I just think it is physical contact that crossed the line there.”
He added: “The thing is, I put my hand on his arm and touched him and I think… politicians, they get a lot of death threats and they have a need to feel safe and I compromised that in that moment by touching him.”
“If Mr Starmer felt that he was threatened… I take responsibility for that, I want to take full responsibility for my actions.”
Asked whether he would like to apologise to the opposition leader, he said: “Yes, absolutely. I’m sorry for doing that.”
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Mr Ashmawi belongs to a group called People Demand Democracy, which is calling for reform of the electoral system.
Merseyside Police confirmed it arrested a 28-year-old man from Surrey on suspicion of assault, breach of the peace and causing public nuisance following the stunt.
On Thursday, the force said the man – who Mr Ashmawi has confirmed is him – has been bailed pending further inquiries.
Following the protest, Sir Keir removed his glitter-covered jacket and said: “If he thinks that bothers me, he doesn’t know me.”
The party leader subsequently said he was determined not to let an “idiot” get in the way of him delivering his speech.
He also told Sky News the incident “could have been a lot worse”.
Labour went on to advertise T-shirts for sale with the slogan: “Sparkle with Starmer.”
