Protesters directly confronted Jacob Rees-Mogg's children during a demonstration outside the Conservative MP's London home on Wednesday.
Three of Rees-Mogg's six children were confronted by Ian Bone, a member of the group Class War, who told BuzzFeed News he was protesting about what he believed were "slave labour conditions" under which Veronica Crook, who has been employed as a nanny by the family for more than 50 years, works.
"Your daddy’s a horrible person," Bone said, directly approaching the children, who stood beside their father.
"Lots of people don’t like your daddy," he continued.
"Lots of people hate him because he won’t say how much he pays. You know the nanny who looks after you? Daddy doesn’t pay them very much.
"Daddy says minimum wage doesn’t count for anything."
Two police officers, who stood between the Rees-Moggs and the protesters, did not respond.
Rees-Mogg himself at one point told the children to go inside, but did not appear to physically move them to do so.
As video footage of the incident posted to Class War's Facebook page began to make traction on social media, many questioned why the police did not intervene when protesters turned their attentions to the children.
Conservative MP Ben Gummer, who is the son of former Conservative cabinet minister John Gummer, tweeted that the incident reminded him of being similarly harassed during his own childhood, and brought an "angry lump to my throat".
I am the child of a politician who had a big media profile. I had my share of this stuff. All I can say is that seeing it done to @Jacob_Rees_Mogg’s children still brings an oh so angry lump to my throat. It is a cruel thing to do to a child, and it will mark them forever. https://t.co/P96DXcHX5x
On Twitter, political commentator Dan Hodges compared the incident to a "non-criminal hate crime", in which the police would be expected to intervene.
"Regardless of what you think of Jacob Rees-Mogg's political views, this is vile," PoliticsHome editor Kevin Schofield wrote.
Can some explain this. Why is it the police are intervening in "non-criminal hate crime". But they stand back when people are intimidating Jacob Rees-Mogg's children. Why weren't they arrested.
Labour MP Stella Creasy also criticised the lack of police intervention when protesters turned their attention to Rees-Mogg's children.
"This is sick. You can see how upset his kids are," Creasy wrote.
"This isn't leftwing or justified.
"Whatever disagreements you have with Jacob Rees-Mogg targeting his children and family is beyond the pale because no politicians family should ever be considered fair game."
This is sick. You can see how upset his kids are. This isn't leftwing or justified. Whatever disagreements you have with Jacob Rees-Mogg targeting his children and family is beyond the pale because no politicians family should ever be considered fair game. https://t.co/i07Rp30itC
The Labour MP Yvette Cooper also felt that Rees-Mogg's children should not be brought into his politics.
"It is disgraceful to target his family, and shameful when politics becomes personal abuse," she tweeted. "Children & family are never fair game."
Leave the kids out of it. Don’t care what your views on Jacob Rees-Mogg, it is disgraceful to target his family, and shameful when politics becomes personal abuse. Children & family are never fair game
Bone defended having directly approached Rees-Mogg's children during the demonstration.
"He brought them out. We weren’t intending to approach the children. We came to see him," Bone told BuzzFeed News.
"I’m guessing it was an attempt to temper criticism of him and distract from it.
"Everything we said to the kids is true. If you’re worried about bad things happening to children, then the effects of the economic policies Rees-Mogg supports far outweigh what those kids have had."
The Met police have been contacted for comment.