Chesterfield grandmother shocked by town Reform UK social which urged guests to “leave water out for granny”

Jeannie Robinson was made aware of the flyer for the social gathering at the Hollingwood Hotel – circulated by email from Reform UK Chesterfield – last Friday. The invite – which the Derbyshire Times has seen and to which recipients were asked to RSVP to the Chesterfield branch – reads: “What are you doing this Friday?

“Drop the kids with a sitter, leave some water out for Granny, then come and enjoy a drink with us.” The bizarre comment appears as an informal introduction before details of the meet and greet. The email invite continues [SIC]: “It's the perfect opportunity to get to know other like-minded people, the branch team and the candidates too.

"There is no agenda for the evening, no formality, only getting to know your fellow reformers. There are plenty of us out there, 700 members and supporters here in Chesterfield alone! We hope to see you there!”

Expressing her shock at the tone of the Reform invitation, grandmother-of-two Jeannie said: “I was shocked when I read this but thought maybe I was being oversensitive. However talking to other ‘grannies’ they agreed that this invitation on the eve of International Women’s Day was a real insult to older women. It assumes grannies are not interested in politics, that they can be left alone, like a dog, so long as water is available and that we are a problem and spoil a good night out.”

Jeannie, 77, who is secretary of Chesterfield Stand up to Racism, said during a separate event she attended on Saturday, her upset at the “laddish” tone of the invitation was echoed by other women present.

She said: “It’s an old-fashioned view which but one which I do still encounter – I feel like this needs to be highlighted if these are the views of members of Reform UK. Maybe it was meant as a joke, but I think it reveals that misogyny is alive and well in the Chesterfield branch of Reform UK."

Derbyshire Times has contacted Reform UK for comment.