Farage says he skipped Budget to avoid repeat of a 'physical altercation' with an MP
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said on 28 October that Farage did not attend the Budget in the Commons partly to avoid "potential conflict", citing a "physical altercation" with an unnamed MP at the state opening of Parliament. Tory and Lib Dem MPs disputed the account of a moved prayer card.
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The story, neutrally told
Left · 2Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, said on 28 October that Farage stayed away from the Commons for the Budget partly to avoid "potential conflict". Daily MirrorL “Nigel Farage has claimed he skipped the Budget because he wanted to avoid a” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ MetroLC “Asked why he was not in the Commons as the Chancellor addressed MPs” Read at Metro ↗ Left · 1Asked why Farage was not in the chamber as the Chancellor spoke, Farage said that at the State Opening of Parliament Farage had "got involved in a physical altercation with an MP in the chamber", adding that Farage had not made a fuss or complained. Daily MirrorL “At the State Opening of Parliament, I didn't want to, but I got involved in a physical altercation with an MP in the chamber.”“I didn't make a fuss about it, I didn't complain” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ Left · 2Farage declined to name the MP, and the coverage gives no independent account of the incident; Metro's headline places it in May. Daily MirrorL “Mr Farage, who declined to name the MP” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ MetroLC “with another MP in May” Read at Metro ↗
Left · 1Farage said that because Farage's prayer card had been removed, Farage could see Farage was "heading towards another physical altercation", and that it is sometimes better to avoid conflict. MetroLC “my prayer card had been removed, I was heading towards another physical altercation” Read at Metro ↗ Left · 2Farage gave a second reason: going through the Budget line by line with a team of economists in the office, which Farage said was more useful than being in the chamber. Farage also said Farage had planned to attend PMQs but saw potential conflict and decided to "give it a wide berth", describing Farage as "a very quiet, shy, modest kind of person". MetroLC “it was actually more useful for me to sit in the office with a team of economists around me.” Read at Metro ↗ Daily MirrorL “being a very quiet, shy, modest kind of person, I decided to give it a wide berth” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ Left · 1Other MPs rejected the suggestion that a seat reservation had been moved. Conservative MP Alicia Kearns wrote on X that it was "total bull" and that any Reform MP could have given up a seat, since many were unreserved. Daily MirrorL “Writing on X, Tory MP Alicia Kearns said: “This is total bull. Any of the Reform MPs could have given their seat up for him.” Read at Daily Mirror ↗
Left · 1Liberal Democrat MP Tim Gordon said Gordon had not put a prayer card in, arrived just before prayers to find "loads of spaces", and did not see Farage at prayers to secure a seat. Gordon called the account "grievance politics" and a "poor and easy-to-disprove excuse". Daily MirrorL “I turned up just before prayers and there were loads of spaces.”“the latest eye-rollingly predictable attempt at grievance politics” Read at Daily Mirror ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left2 outlets
- Framing
- Both left-leaning outlets report Farage's remarks as a claim, with the Mirror stressing that other MPs dismissed it. Metro leads on the admission of a physical altercation; the Mirror leads on Farage skipping the Budget.
- Emphasis
- Farage's own quotes; the Mirror adds the Tory and Lib Dem rebuttals and the unnamed MP.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither names the MP, gives details of what happened, or includes a response from Reform UK or the MP involved. Metro includes no counter-voices.
- Charged language
- “total bull”“grievance politics”“claimed”
- For example
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“Nigel Farage claims he skipped Budget to avoid 'physical altercation' with MP” — Daily Mirror
“with another MP in May” — Metro
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Farage said Farage did not attend the Budget on 28 October partly to avoid potential conflict.
- Farage said Farage was in a physical altercation with an MP in the chamber at the state opening of Parliament.
- Farage also said Farage spent the time going through the Budget with economists.
Where accounts differ
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Whether Farage's prayer card or seat was moved
- Left
- Mirror: Tory MP Alicia Kearns and Lib Dem MP Tim Gordon say there were many free seats and reject the claim; Farage says the prayer card was removed.
Nigel Farage person
Says Farage was in a physical altercation with an MP at the state opening, did not complain, and avoided the Budget partly to avoid another, and also to study it with economists.
“I got involved in a physical altercation with an MP in the chamber.” — Metro
Left2 articles
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MetroLC ·
Nigel Farage says he got into a ‘physical altercation’ with another MP in May
Neutral Short report built around Farage's quotes, with a headline presenting the altercation as Farage's own statement.
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Nigel Farage claims he skipped Budget to avoid 'physical altercation' with MP
Critical Presents Farage's account as a claim and adds Tory and Lib Dem MPs dismissing it as an excuse.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 28 Oct 16:09 First MetroLC Nigel Farage says he got into a ‘physical altercation’ with another MP in May
- 28 Oct 17:04 +55m Daily MirrorL Nigel Farage claims he skipped Budget to avoid 'physical altercation' with MP
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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