Nigel Farage is facing a fresh accusation over a May incident in the House of Commons. Caroline Voaden said he knew Daisy Cooper’s account was not true, after Cooper said Farage physically shoved one of the Liberal Democrats’ female MPs out of the way.
Farage said on Wednesday that he missed John Healey’s Budget speech because his seat reservation had been moved. He also said he had been involved in a physical altercation with another MP on the day of the state opening of parliament in May.
Daisy Cooper’s account
Cooper said her understanding was that Farage pushed one of the Liberal Democrats’ female MPs aside, then another of the party’s male MPs challenged him about it. Speaking to Sky News, she said: “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.”
She added: “I didn’t see it, I didn’t witness what happened, but that was several months ago.” Cooper also said: “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.”
Caroline Voaden’s response
Voaden posted: “We both know that’s not true Nigel don’t we?” She also wrote: “I’m still waiting for the apology you were required to write to me … Though I won’t hold my breath.” Her post placed her at the centre of the dispute over who was involved in the May Commons incident.
Commons staff had removed Farage’s reservation because it did not have the proper date stamp, according to the account given around his absence from Healey’s speech. That detail explains why the row moved from a seating issue to a broader dispute about what happened in May and who challenged him in the chamber.
Reform UK dispute
A Reform source told The Telegraph that the Liberal Democrat version of events was disputed. Robert Jenrick added: “You know what? I am sick to death of these pathetic Westminster debates.”
The issue now sits on two tracks: Farage’s explanation for missing Healey’s speech, and the unresolved argument over the alleged shove in May. Voaden’s post makes clear she is still pressing for the apology she says he was required to write, while Reform is rejecting the account put forward by the Liberal Democrats.
