Bobby Smith (activist)

Bobby Smith (born February 1982) is a British political and fathers' rights activist. He is the founder and leader of the Give Me Back Elmo party which he set up to seek to change the law in family courts after his own experiences.[1]

Bobby Smith
Leader of Give Me Back Elmo
Assumed office
2015
Personal details
BornFebruary 1982 (age 38–39)
Enfield, London, England
NationalityBritish
Political partyGive Me Back Elmo
OccupationActivist

Political activity

Smith stood in the Witney constituency for the Give Me Back Elmo party in the 2015 general election.[2] He and the party received media coverage across the world as Smith and two other members of the party waited with placards to greet the UK Prime Minister David Cameron at the polling station where he cast his vote on election day (7 May 2015)[3][4] and Smith appeared while dressed as Elmo at the vote count in numerous photos with the Prime Minister and behind him on the stage.[5][6]

Smith stood in the Chells ward at the 2016 Stevenage Borough Council election, receiving 23 votes.[7]

Smith stood in the 2016 Tooting by-election and received nine votes.

He received just three votes in the general election in June 2017, standing in the Maidenhead constituency where Prime Minister Theresa May was re-elected.[8]

Smith was an independent candidate in the 2019 Peterborough by-election, receiving five votes.[9][10]

He stood against Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Uxbridge and South Ruislip in the 2019 General Election as an Independent.[11]

Activism

In August 2014, Smith camped outside the holiday home of Prime Minister David Cameron, in Daymer Bay, Cornwall. Smith was briefly arrested after using a megaphone in an attempt to speak to Cameron the previous day.[12][13]

In September 2014, Smith and fellow activist Carol Wheeler protested outside the home of Broxbourne MP Charles Walker. Smith said "My children are growing up without a father, I want a review of my case, or for someone to bring it up for debate – to give fathers equal rights, ending secrecy in Family Courts and judgements on balance of probability."[14] Walker spoke of the protest in Parliament as a point of order, saying, "I recognise the right to protest, but the use of a loud-hailer made it almost impossible to hold a conversation with those visiting my surgeries."[15]

A Real Birmingham Family by Gillian Wearing

In November 2014, Smith, accompanied by Wheeler, covered the A Real Birmingham Family statue with a white sheet and pictures of his own two daughters in protest at no father being included in the statue. Smith said "They've depicted the normal family with no fathers. There's nothing wrong with single mothers, but this statue is saying one person can do both jobs, and I believe kids are always better off with both parents in their lives."[16][17] The director of the Ikon Gallery Jonathan Watkins said of Smith's protest after meeting with him, "We had a good exchange of ideas, he has his take on things, and I have my take on things. I think it's great that somebody has the freedom to express themselves. It's all good, it's part of this democratic society that we cherish."[18]

In December 2014, Smith, along with other protesters from New Fathers 4 Justice, carried out a protest at the Witney constituency home of Prime Minister David Cameron, that resulted in Smith and the other protesters being issued with an harassment order. In a video taken by the protesters, Cameron told the group, "I really think you've made your point and you can go now. You are frightening my children and the neighbours and that's not fair." Smith said, "We have been protesting within the law, we haven’t been using a loud hailer and were within our rights to be there" and "I’m not going to give up".[19][20]

In February and March 2015, Smith carried out a number of protests alone and with others aimed at Harriet Harman and the Labour pink bus campaign. Starting in Stevenage at the launch of the campaign, Smith first confronted Harman in Asda and then again later in the day whilst wearing a T-shirt that had "This is what a victim of feminism looks like" written on it. Smith said, "You're dividing up men and women ... you're making it them versus us. Are you thinking of getting blue van?"[21][22] Smith also confronted Harman in Croydon,[23][24] Cambridge[25] and Gloucester where Smith said, "Fathers in this country falsely accused of domestic violence are lower down the scale when it comes to rights than a convicted paedophile. I haven't seen my children for four years. I have tried everything else so I have to protest like this."

When asked whether she would take the time to listen to Smith's story, Harman said: "I have talked to fathers' groups over the years and I know what they are protesting about. He [Smith] is protesting about his own family situation and that is not something that should be decided by politics. That is something for the family court."[26][27]

In March 2015, after asking Ed Miliband a question at a Q & A session in Rotherhithe, Smith along with other New Fathers 4 Justice protesters were involved in an altercation outside. It was originally alleged that Miliband was "punched and shoved". New Fathers 4 Justice later released a video showing Miliband getting in the car unimpeded and smiling throughout. Smith told BuzzFeed News: "We were there because he didn’t answer my question on shared parenting. I think as long as you don’t block his path and he’s not scared, it’s OK to raise your voice and be heard."[28]

On Father's Day 2015, Smith and another protester climbed Westminster Abbey and unfurled banners to highlight fathers' rights.[29]

In October 2015, Smith climbed onto the roof of the home of Chris Grayling, the leader of the House of Commons.[30]

On 30 November 2015, Smith climbed onto the roof of the Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace along with fellow campaigner Martin Mathews and remained on the roof for several hours before giving themselves up.[31]

References
  1. "View Registration - Give Me Back Elmo". Electoral commission. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  2. "Elmo helps light the fire of dad's election campaign in Witney". Oxford Mail. 9 April 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  3. "David Cameron Photobombed By Elmo At Polling Station on General Election Day 2015". Huffington Post UK. 7 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  4. "What U.K. politicians taste like and four other absurd moments in the election". Toronto Star. 7 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  5. "The Wackiest And Most Colourful Candidates Who Nearly Stole The Show On Election Night 2015". Yahoo. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  6. "Election 2015 results: the weird, wonderful and the downright unexpected". The Telegraph. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  7. "Local election: Stevenage Borough Council results". Hertfordshire Mercury. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  8. "Maidenhead Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  9. "UK Parliamentary General Election 2019". Peterborough City Council.
  10. "Peterborough by-election:Final list of 15 candidates revealed". Peterborough Telegraph. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  11. "Statement of Persons Nominated" (PDF). London Borough of Hillingdon. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  12. "Protester camps outside Cameron's Cornish holiday retreat". Cornish Guardian. 25 August 2014. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  13. "Protestor Targets Prime Minister On Cornish Holiday". Pirate FM. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  14. "David Cameron and Charles Walker targeted by New Fathers 4 Justice protester". Hertfordshire Mercury. 11 September 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  15. "Points of Order Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 4:52 pm on 8th September 2014". TheyWorkForYou.com. 8 September 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  16. Hallam, Katie (1 November 2014). "Library of Birmingham statue attacked by New Fathers For Justice protester". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  17. Lyndon, Neil (3 November 2014). "Is Gillian Wearing's family sculpture offensive to fathers?". The Telegraph. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  18. Milliard, Coline (10 November 2014). "Ikon Director Responds to A Real Birmingham Family Controversy". Artnet. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  19. "Protesters evicted for harassing PM's home vow to continue fight". ITV News. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  20. "Campaigners outside David Cameron's house in Dean handed harassment order". Oxford Mail. 30 December 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  21. Dearden, Lizzie (11 February 2015). "Labour pink bus: Angry man heckles Harriet Harman over 'patronising' campaign during tour". The Independent. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  22. Watt, Holly (11 February 2015). "Harriet Harman's pink bus tour kicks off in Stevenage". The telegraph. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  23. "Fathers 4 Justice protestors and far-right activists gatecrash Labour's 'pink bus' visit to New Addington". Croydon Advertiser. 18 February 2015. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  24. Baynes, Chris (23 February 2015). "Croydon needs a female MP, says shadow minister on 'patronising' pink bus tour". Croydon Guardian. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  25. Busby, Eleanor (24 February 2015). "Harriet Harman defends bright pink bus on visit to Cambridge". Cambridge News. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  26. Mortimer, Hayley (5 March 2015). "New Fathers 4 Justice protesters gatecrash Harriet Harman's visit to Gloucester". Gloucester Citizen. Archived from the original on 7 April 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  27. "Fathers for Justice halt Harman's pink bus tour". Gloucester Review. Tindle Newspaper Group. 12 March 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  28. Ashton, Emily (30 March 2015). "Watch Ed Miliband Being Ambushed By Protesters Just Hours Before TV Debate". Buzzfeed. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  29. "Fathers stage protest at Westminster Abbey". The Telegraph. 21 June 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  30. Welch, Ben (22 October 2015). "Bob the Builder and Elmo in police custody after climbing onto Chris Grayling's roof in Ashtead". Epsom Guardian. Newsquest. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  31. "Fathers' rights activists scale roof at Buckingham Palace". BBC News. 30 November 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
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