Just Stop Oil protester throws orange confetti at George Osborne and bride at wedding

A Just Stop Oil protester was filmed dousing orange confetti over George Osborne and his bride on their wedding day.

The former chancellor, 52, tied the knot this afternoon with his former aide, 40-year-old Thea Rogers, at St Mary's Church, in the Somerset village of Bruton, where they own a property.

After couple, who have two children together, emerged from the church, a smartly dressed woman showered them with orange confetti from a Union flag paper bag.

Mr Osborne looked over his shoulder as the grey-haired woman approached them from behind and emptied her bag over them.

Dressed in a floral dress and pale coloured jacket, the woman smiled and quickly fled as she was approached by security.

Later this evening, Just Stop Oil took credit for the interruption, tweeting footage of the incident with the caption: "You look good in orange @George_Osborne — congratulations to the newlyweds."

The protest group then shared an article on Osbourne's meetings with oil and gas companies during his time in the Treasury, and on how he didn't want to stifle suppliers in the name of fighting climate change.

A number of high-profile figures have condemned Just Stop Oil for the stunt, with former home secretary Priti Patel tweeting: "JSO are shameful, attention seeking, disrespectful low life."

Former cabinet minister Andrea Jenkyns added: "Absolutely disgraceful crashing someone's wedding like this."

Writer and broadcaster Emma Webb wrote: "Whatever you think of someone, to spoil the most precious day of their life because you think your 'cause' is more important, is atrocious. What arrogant Puritan scumbags these people are."

However, others thought the protest did little to spoil the couple's day, with journalist and writer Aaron Bastani tweeting: "Highlighting climate change and a funny anecdote for Osborne for several decades. The literal definition of ‘no harm done."

A string of well-known politicians attended the wedding, with former prime minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha, former chancellor Sajid Javid and levelling-up secretary Michael Gove among the guests. Also present were Lord Hague and his wife Ffion, former health secretary Matt Hancock, ex-governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney, and Labour heavyweight Ed Balls with his wife Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary.

Many well-known journalists also attended, including Mariella Frostrup. Today Programme host Nick Robinson, former Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis, ex-BBC correspondent Jon Sopel, former Sky News political editor Adam Boulton with his wife Anji Hunter, an adviser in Downing Street under Sir Tony Blair.

After quitting the House of Commons, Mr Osborne became editor of the Evening Standard newspaper. Osborne steered Britain's austerity era, as former prime minister David Cameron's right-hand man. He was previously married to the author, Frances Howell, with whom he has two children. The couple announced their divorce in 2019.

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