The media are reporting an “altercation” in the Commons between Nigel Farage and Caroline Voaden. It happened at the State Opening of Parliament last May when MPs were queuing on a staircase to leave the chamber.

Caroline told the Guardian:

He was trying to get out of the chamber and instead of just asking if he could go past, he said: ‘Let me past’. I turned round and said: ‘No, you can wait your turn like everyone else’. He grabbed me by the arm or the shoulder, pushed me to one side and tried to push past me. One of my colleagues tried to stop him because he thought I was going to fall down the stairs. And then we all shuffled down.

Quite deliberately, he grabbed me by the arm from behind and pushed me to one side so that I fell into a colleague or the wall on the other side. I was really taken aback and really angry because I think you just don’t behave like that in any workplace, let alone the chamber of the House of Commons. It was rude. It was nasty.

It appears the serjeant at arms had asked Farage to apologise, but he has not done so.

This all came to light after another incident before the Budget on Wednesday.  Farage claimed his “prayer card” (ie seat reservation) had been removed, presumably in suspicious circumstances, which was why he missed the Chancellor’s speech – to “avoid a physical altercation”. It turns out that the card was taken by staff because it was not properly date stamped.

And we both know that’s not true Nigel don’t we?

I’m still waiting for the apology you were required to write to me… Though I won’t hold my breath

— Caroline Voaden MP (@CarolineVoaden) October 28, 2026

* Mary Reid is a contributing editor on Lib Dem Voice. She was a councillor in Kingston upon Thames, where she is still very active with the local party, and is the Hon President of Kingston Lib Dems.