Sources close to the UKIP leader, Diane James, say that she was verbally abused and spat at by a left-wing activist in Waterloo Station, leaving her traumatised.
The attack occurred in the middle of the day while the station was very busy, in front of many passing commuters.
Ms James only recently became leader of the party and was on her way to a meeting with Douglas Carswell, currently UKIP’s only MP.
She is said to have maintained her calm demeanour and carried out the meeting as planned, despite being shaken by what a senior source called being “properly spat at…” as well as suffering a tirade or verbal abuse.
Although not recorded, it is said that the words used by the attacker were clear evidence of his left-wing political leanings; however, it is difficult to ascertain if the man was formally linked with Momentum, Labour, or other groups.
When asked for further comments, a spokesperson said:
“Diane doesn’t really want to talk about it because I think she is concerned that it will encourage others to try it again. This really underlines the way women politicians being targeted by the far left and it is a very worrying development.”
The UKIP leader is just the latest female political figure targeted by the hard left, after Ruth Smeeth, the MP for Stoke, required security at a Labour conference held in Liverpool after she suffered anti-Semitic abuse from Momentum Supporters.
Former shadow business secretary Angela Eagle also had her constituency office’s windows smashed by left wing activists as a result of her attempt to challenge Mr Corbyn for the Labour leadership.
In yet another example, MP Stella Creasy’s Walthamstow constituency office was attacked by hard left thugs in an incident which the police had to step in to resolve, and then had to provide protection.
By far the worst incident of abuse and violence against female MPs however, was in 2016, when Jo Cox was brutally murdered in her Batley and Spen constituency, with her murderer said to have been inspired by far right views.