Nigel Farage has been accused of “shoving a female MP” earlier this year after he missed yesterday’s Autumn Budget announcement.
While the Budget was nothing to do with Farage, the Reform leader still managed to get in there and make it all about him.
Speaking in a conference after the Budget announcement, Farage claimed that he had his prayer card – a seat reservation – removed.
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For large gatherings in Parliament, MPs often reserve their seat for the day with a ‘prayer card’ since there are 650 MPs and only 427 physical places to sit in Commons.
However, Farage’s claim later turned out to not be true, as the Telegraph reported that the Clacton MP did not attend prayers, which is when MPs can reserve their seat before the start of every Commons session.
According to the publication, Farage also did not approach Commons staff regarding a seat reservation.
His prayer card was then removed as per Chamber protocol because it did not display a valid date stamp.
However, the Reform UK leader said that he feared a “physical altercation” if he tried to take his seat in Commons, a reference to a previous incident.
This, as per the Telegraph, turned out to be an altercation which happened on 13 May during the state opening with Lib Dem MP for South Devon Caroline Voaden.
The outlet reported that a party source said that Voaden had been “shocked and shaken” by the incident and accused Mr Farage of “gaslighting” her about it.
The source said: “He seems to be suggesting that he was the victim, when the reality was quite the opposite.”
Meanwhile, another Lib Dem MP Monica Harding claimed Farage “shoved a female MP out of the way, sending her flying so he could get to the front of the procession for the King’s Speech”.
Reacting to Farage’s comments on Wednesday, Voaden wrote on X: “And we both know that’s not true Nigel don’t we?
“I’m still waiting for the apology you were required to write to me… Though I won’t hold my breath.”
Despite this, Reform have denied the claim, as one source told the paper: “It’s not true at all, it was the Lib Dem MPs being aggressive towards Nigel. This is typical Lib Dem dishonesty in an attempt to stay relevant.”
Reform MP Robert Jenrick told LBC on Wednesday evening that “a load of bolshy Lib Dem MPs got in the way” of Farage and “made it very difficult for him to join the procession.”
Although Jenrick did not witness this, he said it sounded “pretty petty” and “pretty nasty.”