There have been a fair share of incidents over the past few decades (Picture: REX/Getty Images/ITV)
It is 54 years since a flying egg hit then Prime Minister Harold Wilson in the face.
The Labour PM was struck close range by a Tory supporter called Richard Ware.
In good spirits, Mr Wilson shrugged off the incident as a sign the cost of living could not be as high as the Tories were suggesting if people could afford to throw raw eggs.
He quipped: ‘If the Tories get in, in five years no-one will be able to afford to buy an egg.’
He went on to lose that General Election to the Tories after a lacklustre campaign.
But he wasn’t the only politician to be struck by a random item.
Egging can be a criminal offence but has become a symbol of protesters venting their frustrations at the political system.
Sign up for Metro’s politics newsletter
Not sure what to make of the General Election? Ask Alright, Gov?, Metro’s brand new politics newsletter.
We’ll be following the battle for No 10 in our weekly dispatch, bringing you easy-to-read breakdowns and straightforward analysis — Metro style.
Sign up here to get your copy sent directly to your inbox each week, or join us on WhatsApp for daily updates as the election madness gets underway.
Metro.co.uk takes a look at the times when unusual objects have been thrown at politicians.
2001 – Deputy prime minister John Prescott is egged
John Prescott decided to punch the man in response (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)
Arguably the most infamous of all egging incidents, deputy prime minister John Prescott was hit in the face by an egg thrown by protester Craig Evans on May 16, 2001 while on the election trail.
In response Prescott punched Evans in what is now known as the ‘Prescott punch’.
Prescott was pushed into a wall in the scuffle before police and Labour Party supporters moved Evans away.
The incident happened on the same day the party’s manifesto was launched, leaving senior management divided over their response.
Science behind people throwing eggs at politicians
Coventry University Political Scientist Professor Matt Qvortrup seems to have cracked the code as to why people throw food at politicians – and, of course, the occasional condom.
Looking at the problem from a scientific perspective, he says there are about 10% of people who use a small part of the brain called the amygdala when thinking about politics.
His research shows that they do not necessarily reason about politics.
In his book ‘The Political Brain’, Prof Qvortrup examines how brain-scans can identify differences between Liberals and Conservatives, can predict people’s behaviour, and can explain the biology of uprisings, revolutions, and wars.
He identifies three types of people, scientifically- left wing, right wing and radicals.
The academic tells Metro.co.uk: ‘Typically, when people activate that part of the brain, they feel that they are undervalued, under threat, and that they are losing respect.’
He stressed this could happen both on the left and the right of political spectrum, and brain-scans prove that.
‘There is actual science behind the anger. It is not because of a rational argument – unlike the case with terrorists, who reason about issues’ he adds.
‘So people who throw eggs are unlikely to be terrorists, even though in some countries they will probably be called that.’
Both Prime Minister Tony Blair and his director of communications Alistair Campbell believed Prescott should have apologised but chancellor Gordon Brown supported him.
Polls would later find the public supported Prescott’ punching the man’s reaction.
Labour would go on to win the 2001 general election.
2004 – Condoms full of purple flour thrown at Prime Minister Tony Blair
Eleven frame composite of the incident, when protesters threw a coloured powder into the chamber of the House of Commons (Picture: PA)
In May 2004, condoms full of purple flour were thrown at Prime Minister Tony Blair by a father’s rights group who wanted justice for divorced dads.
Just weeks earlier a £600,000 security screen was installed in the House of Commons to deter such action.
It was to no avail as dads Ron Davies and Guy Harrison made their voices heard.
One condom hit Blair’s back and one landed near his feet as he turned around and looked amused.
All MPs were told to leave the Commons while the powder was examined but it turned out it was safe.
The pair were both convicted of disorderly behaviour and fined £500 and £600 respectively.
2009 – Peter Mandelson has custard thrown at him
Peter Madelson got a face full of green custard as he was targeted by a protester (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)
Labour business secretary Lord Mandelson had green custard thrown at him by a protester when he arrived for the launch of a low-carbon summit in London in March 2009.
It was thrown by Leila Deen, a member of the Plane Stupid campaigning group that was against a third runway at Heathrow.
She told Mandelson it was custard before she decided to throw it all over him.
Despite the act he told people not to ‘overreact’ at the time.
No complaint was made and no action was taken against Leila.
2010 – Teenager throws egg at Tory leader David Cameron
The egg completely ruined Cameron’s shirt (Picture: PA)
In April 2010, David Cameron was hit by an egg on his shoulder which was thrown by a construction student during the 2010 General Election campaign in Cornwall.
Cameron was followed by a Daily Mirror reporter dressed as a chicken, to which he joked: ‘Now I know which came first – the chicken not the egg.’
The PM was left ‘unruffled’ even though a splat of yolk left a stain on his white shirt.
He said the egg was the ‘first of the campaign’.
The student was arrested but was then released shortly afterwards.
2013 – Ed Miliband pelted by egg on campaign trail
Ed Miliband saw the funny side to it all (Picture: PA)
Labour leader Ed Miliband laughed off his pelting during a campaign visit in south London in August 2013.
He was forced to take off his jacket and said ‘these things happen’ as he carried on talking to stallholders in Walworth.
Mr Miliband said at the time: ‘This is not the first time it’s happened to me, I’m sure it’s not the last.
‘I’m always looking for new ways to connect with the voters.’
2017 – Egg thrown at Nigel Farage
Nigel Farage just about managed to avoid the flying egg (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Nigel Farage managed to narrowly dodge an egg during the 2017 General Election campaign trail in Stoke-on-Trent.
Instead it exploded all across his UKIP-branded umbrella.
The mysterious egg-thrower, wearing jeans, a hoodie and a hat, then ran away.
This was the same day Farage’s wife Kirsten went public about the fact he had moved out and they had been ‘living separate lives’ for several years.
2019 – Jeremy Corbyn has egg thrown at him
John Murphy (centre) raising his arm as he approaches Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (seated centre) prior to striking him with an egg (Picture: PA)
Then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was egged by a man while he and shadow home secretary Diane Abbott visited mosque in Finsbury Park, London.
John Murphy was charged with assault by beating and was jailed for 28 days after the incident in March 2019.
Magistrates said he had attacked ‘our democratic process’.
At the time he later tweeted about the ‘fantastic opportunity’ Visit My Mosque Day had opened up to communities, without mentioning the egging.
2019 – Milkshake thrown over Nigel Farage
Nigel Farage was milkshaked two years on from an egging (Picture: PA)
A man who chucked a milkshake over Nigel Farage was told to pay the former UKIP leader’s suit-cleaning bill.
The banana and salted caramel milkshake was launched at Farage while he was campaigning for the European elections in Newcastle in May 2019.
Paul Crowther, 32, pleaded guilty to common assault and causing criminal damage to a £239 lapel microphone on Farage’s suit.
He was also told to do 150 hours of unpaid work for the ‘act of crass stupidity’.
More Trending
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.