Nigel Farage accused of ‘shoving’ Lib Dem MP after admitting he skipped Budget to avoid altercation - The Independent

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A Liberal Democrat MP who was reported to have been “physically shoved” by Nigel Farage said she was “shocked and bloody angry” about the incident during parliament’s state opening earlier this year.

Caroline Voaden, MP for South Devon, said in a social media post directed at the Reform UK leader that she was “still waiting for the apology you were required to write to me”.

The Reform UK leader claimed he skipped John Healey’s Budget to prevent a possible “physical altercation” inside the House of Commons and added that his parliamentary prayer card, which MPs use to reserve a seat in the chamber, was removed on Wednesday.

Speaking at a post-Budget press conference, he said he wanted to “avoid conflict” in the chamber, citing an altercation with another member of parliament during the state opening on 13 May.

Daisy Cooper, the Lib Dem deputy leader, claimed the Reform UK leader “physically shoved” the MP during parliament’s state opening earlier this year.

However, a House of Commons spokesperson later clarified that Mr Farage’s prayer card had been removed because it did not bear a valid time stamp.

Ms Voaden, the MP for South Devon, said on X: “Shocked and bloody angry I think… it takes more than that to shake me.

“I may be a woman, but I’m not the snowflake here.”

In an earlier post, she wrote: “I’m still waiting for the apology you were required to write to me… Though I won’t hold my breath.”

The Liberal Democrats had indicated that one of their own MPs was the other individual involved in the May incident to which Mr Farage was referring.

Ms Cooper was asked by Sky News whether there was an incident at the state opening, and told the broadcaster: “There was, and it was during the state opening of parliament.

“My understanding – I didn’t see it, I wasn’t there – but my understanding is that he physically shoved one of our female MPs out of the way, and that one of our male MPs then challenged him on that.

“I didn’t see it, I didn’t witness what happened, but that was several months ago.

“And let’s be really clear: it’s Reform UK that had a problem at their conference with bundling female journalists and members out of their hall. So, we’ll take no lessons from them on this.”

The Lib Dem deputy leader had earlier told Sky: “Nigel Farage had every opportunity to get his prayer card in yesterday and get a space in parliament, but as a leader of a very small party, he would have to have waited several hours to have the opportunity to speak.

“So, let’s be really clear about the choice that Nigel Farage made yesterday. He basically decided that he couldn’t be arsed to sit in the chamber and listen to the Chancellor’s speech and everybody else responding, and instead chose to go and do a press conference so he could get onto the airwaves. That’s the choice that he has made, and he should just come clean about that.”

The broadcaster later asked Reform’s Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick to respond to the accusations.

He told Sky: “You know what? I am sick to death of these pathetic Westminster debates.

“The thing about Reform politicians is, yeah, we love parliament, the institution of parliament. I go there every day. I speak in parliament. I represent my constituents.

“But I’m much more interested about, actually, the issues, trying to change this country, getting out and about outside of the bubble. And I’m not interested in even responding, dignifying the nonsense that Daisy Cooper is talking about there.”

Reform officials said Ms Cooper’s account was not true and insisted it was the Lib Dem MP who was acting aggressively.