Bonfire Night boos as giant effigy of Rishi Sunak carried through streets

06 November 2023 , 12:25

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An effigy of Rishi Sunak was paraded through the streets of Lewes, Sussex (Image: Lee Floyd / Avalon)

Giant recreations of the Prime Minister and Home Secretary were booed as they were carried through the streets at one of Britain's biggest bonfire nights.

The huge effigies were held aloft as part of the parade in Lewes, Sussex, on Sunday night, dividing the crowds. Rishi Sunak was depicted in a crisp white shirt peering out of a train carriage with a torn piece of paper bearing RMT boss Mick Lynch's name as it was carried by dozens of volunteers for the parade.

Meanwhile, a lurid effigy of Suella Braverman was also held high, as was a model of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. The effigies were burnt as part of the town's November 5 celebrations - the country's largest and most famous bonfire events.

Suella Braverman was depicted as a sea monster in an effigy for the event (James McCauley/REX/Shutterstock)

The Home Secretary was depicted as a sea monster alongside a plane to Rwanda and a "no entry" sign, referencing the Tory government's controversial policies on asylum seekers and refugees. Mr Hunt meanwhile was portrayed bursting out of a mega mansion alongside a sign referencing the partially-axed HS2 project.

Lewes is known for its elaborate effigies which it tosses on the huge fire every year for the event, which have often been topical or nods to current events. Previous characters made into models and burnt have included the likes of former PM Boris Johnson, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and notorious far-right mouthpiece Katie Hopkins.

Out of touch Rishi Sunak doesn't regularly read papers or online news sites

This year's decorations appeared to reference recent controversies, including the deporting of refugees to Rwanda and U-turn over HS2 services to the North. It also came as Ms Braverman faced new controversy after unveiling plans to remove rough sleepers' tents from the street in a post on X, formerly Twitter, in which she described homelessness as "a lifestyle choice".

Jeremy Hunt's eerie effigy (Lee Floyd / Avalon)

The Sussex town is famous for its annual bonfire night celebrations which mark Guy Fawkes' foiled attempt to blow up Parliament in 1605. An effigy of the infamous terrorist was also pulled through the streets on Sunday night, as per the town's tradition.

Parades of up 5,000 march through the town's streets in spectacles witnessed by crowds of up to 80,000. The tradition has evolved from the 400-year-old revolt by English Catholics, with the burning of effigies beginning in the mid-19th century when a model of Pope Paul V was torched.

Brits across the UK celebrated bonfire night over the weekend, despite Storm Ciaran threatening to put a dampener on events. An estimated 50,000 packed out the streets in London to watch the magnificent fireworks display at Battersea Power Station.

Susie Beever