Newly elected MP Nigel Farage chose to shun his parliamentary duties on the first Prime Minister's Questions of the new year, opting instead for a marathon media appearance where he dismissed allegations of past racist behaviour and launched a scathing attack on London.
Avoiding the Commons Chamber
After seven failed attempts and a final victory in Clacton in 2024, Nigel Farage has secured his long-sought seat in the House of Commons. However, his attendance record has raised eyebrows. Rather than taking his place on the opposition benches, Farage regularly observes from the gallery during PMQs. This week, he skipped the session entirely to provide commentary on Times Radio, a move critics suggest is designed to keep the focus firmly on himself.
Prior to that, Farage held a press conference lasting one hour and forty minutes in London. The event, which was not time-sensitive, marked his return to the TV cameras for the first time in 2024, feeding what observers describe as a relentless appetite for media attention.
Dismissing Allegations and Attacking London
The press conference took a contentious turn when Farage was confronted with past allegations. He was asked to apologise in the wake of accounts from 28 former Dulwich schoolboys who have clear memories of his racist and antisemitic behaviour during their school days. Farage flatly refused. He labelled all 28 individuals as "fantasists" and suggested people should "lighten up a little."
Farage then turned his fire on the capital, erroneously focusing on the 2027 London Mayoral election (the vote is actually scheduled for 2028). He declared London the "most dangerous city in the world" under Mayor Sadiq Khan, claiming people were too afraid to walk the streets. He introduced Reform UK's prospective mayoral candidate, Laila Cunningham, who echoed his sentiments, promising to flood streets with police, scrap ULEZ and congestion charges, and sack Tube drivers.
A Feeble PMQs and Tory Missteps
Back in the Commons, the first PMQs of the year was described as a non-event, dominated by foreign affairs including Venezuela, Greenland, and Ukraine. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch attempted to attack Prime Minister Keir Starmer but faced a difficult exchange. She struggled to distinguish between a shadow minister's past legal work and a current advisor's links to a Russian oligarch, ultimately leading to a clarification that Lord Wolfson would recuse himself from matters concerning Russia.
Throughout the day, Farage's actions underscored a preference for media spectacle over parliamentary scrutiny. From dismissing serious personal allegations to promoting a dystopian view of London, his strategy appears firmly fixed on controlling his narrative outside the traditional chambers of power, where he now holds a publicly funded seat.
