Caroline Voaden says Nigel Farage grabbed her arm and pushed her aside as he tried to join the procession to the House of Lords on the day of the King’s Speech. The Liberal Democrat MP for South Devon has now set out her account after Farage referred to the incident as a “physical altercation” at a press conference nearly six months later.
Voaden said MPs from across the parties lead the procession, but Farage had not reached his place in time and was behind other MPs. When he asked to pass on a flight of stairs, she told him to wait his turn. She says he then grabbed her arm and shoved her to one side. A colleague, who thought she might fall, intervened and spoke to Farage about his conduct.
Voaden said she reported the incident to parliamentary authorities, who asked Farage to apologise in writing. She said no apology followed and that she had chosen not to discuss the matter publicly at the time. She rejected a later claim from a Reform UK source that the incident had been caused by “aggressive” Liberal Democrat MPs.
In her account, Voaden questioned why Farage raised the episode while explaining his absence from the Commons during the budget. She argued that the incident reflected what she sees as Reform UK’s disregard for parliament and its traditions. These are Voaden’s criticisms, expressed in an opinion article.
Voaden also cited Farage’s attendance record in parliament and said he had asked a colleague how business questions worked. Drawing on her experience in the European Parliament, she said he attended one of 42 fisheries meetings despite being selected to represent the UK fishing industry.
Asked whether Farage would have behaved the same way if she were a man, Voaden said she thought it unlikely. She described his behaviour as boorish and said his suggestion that he had avoided the budget debate to prevent another altercation was “quite simply laughable”.
Sources: The Guardian Politics.