James O’Brien has mocked Nigel Farage over his claims that he missed the Budget because of a previous “physical altercation” with a Lib Dem MP.
While the Budget was nothing to do with Farage, the Reform leader still managed to get in there and make it all about him.
The case of the missing prayer card
Speaking in a conference after the Budget announcement, Farage claimed that he had his prayer card – a seat reservation – removed.
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.
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The Reform UK leader said that he feared he would have been involved in a “physical altercation” if he had tried to take his seat in the Commons, claiming he had been involved in one at the State Opening of Parliament in May.
Farage claimed that his prayer card being removed meant that he was “heading towards another physical altercation.”
However, Farage’s claims about his prayer card later turned out to not be true.
In response to the claims, a House of Commons spokesperson told the London Economic that Farage’s prayer card had in fact been moved because it did not display the correct date stamp.
The spokesperson said: “There are clear and long-established arrangements for Members to reserve their own seats in the Chamber using Prayer Cards displaying a valid date stamp. Today, a Prayer Card placed on a seat did not display a valid date stamp and was removed in line with the usual Chamber protocol.”
They added that Farage had not attended Prayers and did not approach House staff regarding a seat reservation.
A ‘physical altercation’ with a… female Lib Dem MP?
It has since emerged that the “physical altercation” he referenced from the State Opening of Parliament happened with Lib Dem MP for South Devon Caroline Voaden.
The Telegraph 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.”
‘When Farage tells you something, check the facts’
Reacting to the saga on his LBC show on Thursday, James O’Brien said it was another example of how everyone should do some fact-checking when they hear Farage speak.
Addressing the prayer card controversy, O’Brien said Farage couldn’t even “fill in a date on a piece of paper, but rather than admit that to you, he’s claiming that he was somehow fearful.”
“When Nigel Farage tells you something, it’s best to check the facts,” O’Brien added.
The presenter then mocked Farage for his suggestion that Lib Dem MPs of all people had been acting threatening or aggressively.