Police say there will be no further action over Jo Brand joke

Nigel Farage and Jo Brand. Photograph: PA/PA Wire - Credit: PA

Police will take no further action against Jo Brand after she joked about throwing battery acid at politicians, Scotland Yard has said.

The comedian was reported over an allegation of incitement to violence after comments made on Radio 4 programme Heresy after Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage criticised the joke.

Brand apologised for the joke, calling it “crass and ill-judged”. However, police have now said she will face no further action.

In a statement, Scotland Yard said: “Police received an allegation of incitement to violence on 13 June, relating to comments made on a radio programme.

“The referral has been considered by the MPS and no further police action will be taken in relation to this allegation.”

Farage – who had a milkshake thrown at him while campaigning in Newcastle – accused Brand of inciting violence, although he did not say who against.

Commenting again on Twitter, he said: “I am sick to death of overpaid, left-wing, so-called comedians on the BBC who think their view is morally superior.

“Can you imagine the reaction if I had said the same thing as Jo Brand?”

The news comes as David Baddiel, who created Heresy, said the BBC was wrong to edit the joke out of a repeat of the programme.

Speaking to Newsnight, he said: “I don’t think I would have nipped it out. Morally wrong? I’m not sure. I think they’re just trying not to cause trouble.

“The BBC are still to some extent the aunty of the nation and they don’t like trouble. Even though they did commission a show, Heresy, that was designed to push the boundaries of what people might think and say.

“If it was up to me, I would have kept that line in for the repeat. Apart from anything, it’s a bit silly when it’s had massive coverage to cut it out – that looks a bit cowardly.”