Nigel Farage Skips First Budget Speech After Seating Dispute

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage bypassed the House of Commons during the delivery of the first budget, choosing to remain in his office to review financial plans with party economists.

The decision followed an earlier dispute regarding seating arrangements in the chamber, where Mr Farage discovered that his reserved prayer card had been removed prior to the proceedings.

Mr Farage said he opted to stay away to prevent a confrontation, pointing to a previous physical altercation with an unnamed member of Parliament during the state opening of Parliament on May 13.

Speaking at a press conference in Westminster, Mr Farage said: "At the state opening of Parliament, I got involved... I didn’t want to... but I got involved in a physical altercation with an MP in the chamber."

He added: "I didn’t make a fuss about it, I didn’t complain, but I could see given that my prayer card had been removed, I was heading towards another physical altercation."

House of Commons rules require members to use validly date-stamped prayer cards to secure a seat, given that only 427 seats are available for 643 MPs.

A House of Commons spokesperson said that the card placed on the seat lacked a valid date stamp and was consequently removed in accordance with established chamber protocol.

Conservative MP Alicia Kearns disputed Mr Farage's account of the events, pointing out that other members could have given up their seats if he had asked.

During the post-budget briefing alongside Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick, Mr Farage criticized the financial statement as a cynical retail budget designed to pave the way for an early general election.

Mr Farage also expressed concern over a 10 billion pound funding package allocated to support Ukraine, stating that he was worried about how the funds would be managed.

Mr Farage said: "I’m more worried about Putin now than I’ve been at any point since the war started, worried about his rationality."

The political fallout from the budget continues as parties debate the broader implications of the government's economic strategy and future electoral timelines.