Stop Welsh protester from disrupting No 10 statements – ex-deputy PM

Harry Taylor, Press Association Political Staff

A Conservative former deputy prime minister has suggested an anti-Brexit activist from from Port Talbot, who regularly plays loud music outside Parliament, should be banned after he disrupted Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation announcement on Monday morning.

Sir Oliver Dowden, who was deputy to Rishi Sunak for the final year of his premiership, said Steve Bray, who regularly plays music on a public address system outside the Houses of Parliament, added to “considerable international embarrassment”.

Mr Bray loudly played Ode To Joy, which is the EU’s official anthem, during Sir Keir’s statement outside Downing Street.

The Prime Minister could be seen struggling to make himself heard as he started to speak just after 9.30am.

The activist, who is a former Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, previously played Things Can Only Get Better by D-Ream when Mr Sunak called a general election outside Number 10 in 2024.

The song is closely associated with New Labour and Tony Blair’s election victory in 1997.

Sir Oliver did not refer to Mr Bray by name in the Commons, but later confirmed to the Press Association he was referring to the protester.

Speaking in the Commons, Sir Oliver said: “Will the Deputy Prime Minister sit down with the police and find some way of stopping this ridiculous heckling and disruption of prime ministers on the steps of Downing Street when they’re trying to make statements which further adds to our considerable international embarrassment.”

His question was met by shouts of “hear, hear” in the Commons.

Responding for the Government, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said: “He has stood in my shoes on the steps of Downing Street, and I do think there are these moments where the country are watching in and they do want to be able to hear prime ministers of the day speak, so I recognise the points that he raises.”

Mr Bray became a fixture outside Parliament during the years after the Brexit referendum, and was known as “Stop Brexit Man” for playing music and shouting “Stop Brexit” through a loudspeaker.

Mr Bray now keeps his appearances in Westminster to large events and Wednesdays when Prime Minister’s Questions takes place.

In April 2025 he was cleared of breaking a police ban after he played anti-Conservative and anti-Brexit edits of songs outside Parliament a year earlier.

‘Peaceful protest’

Mr Bray successfully defended himself and said it was part of his right to peaceful protest.

He has previously held demonstrations at the Conservative Party Conference, and outside Boris and Carrie Johnson’s wedding.

In a post on X on Monday afternoon Mr Bray said Ode To Joy was played “out of respect (at) background volume”.

He posted: “If you were at Downing Street there was a man with megaphone slagging off Labour and Keir constant. It could be heard so there you go. Not disrespectful in my opinion, but you are entitled to your opinion. It was Ode to Joy or the guy with the megaphone shouting all the way through.”