Revealed: The musician-turned-protester who heckled Rachel Reeves

The heckler who interrupted Rachel Reeves' speech at the Labour party conference is a musician who says he is 'struggling to live in London's brutal glass forest'. 

Jamie Rudd was dragged out of the conference centre in Liverpool yesterday during the Chancellor's speech, as he called for the government to 'stop arming Israel' and 'stop backing oil'. 

Jamie, who is the lead vocalist for his band Wesley, was protesting on behalf of a group called Climate Resistance along with another protester and were both led from the conference centre in handcuffs and placed in a police van

But it was not the first time the aspiring guitarist has publicly voiced his outrage with those in power, as just a few months ago Jamie also interrupted a speech given by Tory MP Liam Fox at a net zero conference in London. 

Jamie was state-educated at St James School, Exeter, and is now following in the footsteps of his parents Christopher and Ali, who are also part of an 'innovative acoustic alternative folk band' called spin2. 

On social media, Jamie, who lives in London, describes himself as someone who 'makes music and other things' but says 'he is struggling to connect with the brutal glass forest he is surrounded by'. 

His profile on the band's website states: 'Jamie Rudd finds his inspiration in routine and sense of place, and in an ever deepening connection with his surroundings that reverberates through every aspect of his songs from the lyrics down to the choice of lyrical synth patch.

'As the nights grow shorter and coats are pulled tighter, Jamie wonders where on earth he will find his respite in all this cold construction.'

As a lover of nature, Jamie's repeated climate protests are no surprise. He previously accused Tory MP Liam Fox of hypocrisy when he interrupted his speech during the Innovation Zero conference in April. 

He told the crowds: 'This man has taken ten grand from a climate denier, £10,000 from Terrence Mordaunt, a notorious climate sceptic. And now he wants you to sit here and listen to him talk about sustainability as if there is nothing wrong with that.'

Jamie's parents, Ali and Chris, are seemingly supportive of their son's activism and showed their praise on social media after the incident. 

Ali wrote: 'Our Jamie Rudd calling out climate corruption', accompanied by a hands clapping emoji. Chris later added: 'That's my boy'. 

The couple are also similar to their son in their appreciation of folk music. Ali is well versed in playing the fiddle and the accordion, while Chris is described as a lead vocalist, lyricist, bouzouki and guitar player. 

Ali and Chris are both part of the band spin2, but have also had lucrative solo careers, having both toured the world and released several albums. 

Following Monday's protest, Jamie and another protester were led from the conference centre in handcuffs and placed in a police van before being driven away.

They had unfurled a banner saying: 'Still backing polluters, still arming Israel – we voted for change.'

After they were removed, Ms Reeves swiped that Labour is 'not a party of protest' any more before continuing with her uncompromising message.

Ms Reeves struck a notably more optimistic tone about the country's future, following a welter of criticism about doom-laden pronouncements and fears they will be self-fulfilling.

She said 'tough decisions' in the upcoming Budget would not 'dim our ambition for Britain' and insisted Tory austerity was a 'destructive choice' which would not be repeated.

However, the scale of the challenge the government faces was underlined as nurses announced while the Chancellor was speaking that they had rejected a 5.5 per cent pay rise offer - demanding even more cash after bumper hikes for junior doctors and train drivers.

The timing of a winter fuel vote has now been pushed back after intense wrangling on the party's organising committee - with claims the schedule is 'too busy' for a debate this afternoon.

Instead the clash - which the leadership is resigned to losing - is likely to take place after the PM has given his keynote speech. And Sir Keir will not even be present as he is due to be travelling to the UN general assembly.

Despite the open revolt, Ms Reeves has made clear there will be no U-turn on the plan, and the vote will not be binding on the government.

Ms Reeves told the hall: 'Because I know how much damage has been done in those 14 years, let me say one thing straight up: there will be no return to austerity. Conservative austerity was a destructive choice for our public services, and for investment and growth too.

'Yes, we must deal with the Tory legacy and that means tough decisions, but I won't let that dim our ambition for Britain.

'So, it will be a budget with real ambition, a budget to fix the foundations, a budget to deliver the change that we promised, a budget to rebuild Britain.'

Ms Reeves repeated her promise not to 'turn a blind eye' to 'Covid fraudsters' and those who 'used a national emergency to line their own pockets'.

She drew some of her loudest applause as she said: 'That money belongs in our police, it belongs in our health service and belongs in our schools. Conference, we want that money back.'