Nigel Farage has been branded the "MP for Washington" after analysis revealed he spent one in four of his Commons speeches echoing Donald Trump's attacks on Britain.
Chagos deal raised repeatedly
Research by DeSmog found the Reform UK leader raised the Chagos Islands deal - a pet grievance of Trump - in 10 of his 40 speeches before standing down as an MP in July. The deal would have seen the UK hand control of the islands to Mauritius.
Many of Farage's remarks on the deal mirrored Trump's opposition, which helped derail the agreement earlier this year.
Echoes of Trump's rhetoric
After returning from Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in December 2024, Farage told MPs that senior figures in the incoming US administration had expressed "deep disquiet" over Britain's plans. He later warned the agreement could destroy hopes of a UK-US trade deal, claiming Britain's chances of avoiding American tariffs would "evaporate".
Farage also praised Trump twice more in the Commons, boasting of his close relationship with the president in February 2025. "I think I am in a fortunate position. It is not just that for 10 years I have stood up and defended President Trump - I was very much on my own in those days - but that I know half his Cabinet," he said.
Constituency issues neglected
By contrast, Farage spoke just once about winter fuel payments, once about the Budget and once about energy policy - despite Reform repeatedly claiming the cost of living is one of voters' biggest concerns.
Graeme McGregor, campaign manager for the Good Law Project, said: "Seeing how often Farage has voiced views that line up perfectly with Trump's interests, you might think he was the MP for Washington DC, not Clacton-on-Sea. He ought to spend more time focusing on issues that matter to people in Clacton, rather than his pastimes of grandstanding, jet-setting and schmoozing."
Constituency mentions and outside earnings
The findings come after DeSmog revealed Farage mentioned his Clacton constituency just six times in Parliament over two years while earning £2.3 million from work outside Westminster.
Farage resigned as Clacton's MP last month amid a parliamentary standards investigation into an undeclared £5 million gift from billionaire crypto donor Christopher Harborne. Harborne has also contributed to Farage's Chagos campaigning - paying £25,000 for a private jet flight in February for the Reform leader to launch an unsuccessful attempt to reach the islands.
By-election showdown
Farage is standing in next week's by-election, which he has billed as a showdown with "the establishment". His main opponent is Count Binface, a comedy candidate, after all the main parties refused to stand in the contest. The parliamentary investigation is expected to resume if Farage wins re-election.
