Caroline Voaden accuses Nigel Farage of shoving her in Commons
Voaden said Farage’s behaviour was unacceptable and demanded an apology after the incident at the state opening earlier this year.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Liberal Democrat MP Caroline Voaden said Nigel Farage shoved her in the House of Commons and has not yet apologised, according to two reports from the Evening Standard.
What happened
Voaden, the MP for South Devon, said Farage pushed her aside and barged past her during the state opening of Parliament on 13 May 2026. She posted on X that she was “shocked and bloody angry” and that she was still waiting for the written apology he was required to send. Farage later told a post‑Budget press conference on 28 October 2026 that he had skipped John Healey’s Budget to avoid a possible “physical altercation” in the chamber, claiming his parliamentary prayer card had been removed because it lacked a valid time‑stamp, as a House of Commons spokesperson later confirmed.
What the reports add
- Voaden described Farage’s conduct as “unacceptable in any workplace” and said it showed his “complete disdain” for parliamentary colleagues.
- She accused him of using the incident as a pretext to avoid the Budget speech, adding that he “doesn’t understand how prayer cards work” and that “it’s impossible to imagine him ever being leader of the Opposition, let alone Prime Minister.”
- Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper repeated Voaden’s claim, telling Sky News she had not seen the incident but understood that Farage “physically shoved one of our female MPs out of the way, and that one of our male MPs then challenged him.”
- The articles both cite a House of Commons spokesperson who said Farage’s prayer card was removed because it did not have a valid time‑stamp.
What was said
“It’s very strange that Farage has dredged up this incident, which happened five months ago, while scrambling for an excuse as to why he wasn’t in the Chamber for the Budget speech,” Voaden said in a statement reported by the Standard.
“Shoving a colleague out of the way on a staircase just shows the complete disdain he has for parliament and for other MPs,” Voaden added.
“I’m still waiting for the apology you were required to write to me… Though I won’t hold my breath,” Voaden wrote 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,” she posted.
At the post‑Budget press conference Farage said he wanted to “avoid conflict” in the chamber and explained that his prayer card had been removed.
Daisy Cooper told Sky News: “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.”
How it came about
The altercation occurred during the state opening of Parliament on 13 May 2026. Farage later referenced the incident at a post‑Budget press conference on 28 October 2026, the same day the UK budget was delivered. The episode was previously mentioned in Felo coverage of Farage’s security concerns, including the post‑election pact discussion and the terror‑plot charge.
Key facts
- Caroline Voaden said Nigel Farage shoved her in the Commons on 13 May 2026. (standard.co.uk)
- Voaden posted on X that she was "shocked and bloody angry" and awaiting an apology. (standard.co.uk)
- Farage said he skipped the budget to avoid a possible physical altercation. (standard.co.uk)
- A Commons spokesperson said Farage’s prayer card was removed because it lacked a valid time‑stamp. (standard.co.uk)
Timeline
- 2026-05-13 — State opening of Parliament where the alleged shove occurred.
- 2026-10-28 — John Healey’s Budget delivered; Farage skips to avoid conflict.
- 2026-10-29 — Voaden’s statements published by the Evening Standard.
Sources
- [1] standard.co.uk
- [2] standard.co.uk
