Hodge’s handcuffs is first of season stunts

Fathers 4 Justice campaigners are swapping Batman outfits for Santa
suits for a series of protests in the run-up to the festive
season.

The first stunt took place outside Buckingham Palace earlier this
week to coincide with the Queen’s speech.

The group are planning to cause “Christmas chaos” after a protester
handcuffed himself to children’s minister Margaret Hodge at a Law
Society conference last week.

Protester Jonathan Stanesby, nicknamed “Jolly”, stormed on stage at
the Lowry Hotel in Manchester where Hodge was making a speech and
handcuffed himself to her.

The minister later referred to them as “blasted Fathers 4 Justice”
but said she had talked to two of the protesters in an attempt to
calm them down.

Hodge added she was sympathetic to the fathers’ cause, but refused
to give in to their demand that fathers and mothers have an equal
share of custody after a break-up.