In chaotic scenes in the Commons, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was drowned out by shouts from the bench behind, which led to shouts of ‘will you shut up?’ from another MP
A tense row erupted during PMQs after an MP shouted “will you shut up?” after Nigel Farage was heckled.
In chaotic scenes in the Commons, the Reform UK leader was drowned out by shouts from the bench behind. In part of his question to Keir Starmer, Mr Farage said the country backed Brexit, to which Independent MP Iqbal Mohamed repeatedly shouted “because they were lied to”. The heckles were picked up by Mr Farage’s mic, which were turned on for his question.
It led to shouts of “will you shut up?” from one MP, who was off camera but appeared to sound like Reform UK MP Lee Anderson. Sarah Pochin, the party’s newest MPs, also turned around and said angrily to Mr Mohamed: “Don’t be so disrespectful. So disrespectful.”
At the end of PMQs, Mr Anderson raised a point of order in the chamber, complaining to Speaker Lindsay Hoyle that he couldn’t hear a “single word” of Mr Farage’s question because “people like the honourable member for Dewsbury behind me never shut up”.
The chaos started after Mr Starmer had just vowed to go after “fraudsters, grifters and con artists” who exploited Covid support – days after a Reform MP was suspended over allegations he had done so. In a painfully awkward moment, Mr Farage then stood up to ask his question, with MPs erupted in laughter.
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The Reform leader targeted French President Emmanuel Macron, who is currently on a state visit to the UK. Mr Farage said to the PM: “The main reason that this country decided wisely voted for Brexit back in 2016, and that included millions of Labour supporters, and is because we wanted to take back control of our borders so that we, and we alone, can decide who comes and settles in our country.
“Does the PM understand that that demand today is even greater today than it was in 2016 and the country demands that you tell the French President: ‘We will not accept undocumented males across the English channel and that you are not dictated to by an increasingly arrogant anti-Brexit French leader.'”
The PM accused Mr Farage of sticking “two fingers” up to the UK’s neighbours and expecting that to fix the problem. “We are fixing the mess that we inherited. We are working with other countries to ensure that we take the measures necessary to stop people crossing the Channel,” Mr Starmer said.
“They are serious answers to serious problems. His proposal for 10 years, wagging the Tory dog has been to break everything and claim that’s how you fix things, to stick two fingers up at your neighbours and then expect them to work with us.
“And he votes against the borders bill, which gives more powers and law enforcement to deal with security. The reason for that is he has no interest in fixing the problem because he wants to milk it and exploit it. That’s the truth about him and his party.”
Raising a point of order after PMQs, Mr Anderson said: “During PMQs, the honourable member for Clacton (Mr Farage) asked what I thought was quite a reasonable question – because I knew what the question was going to be. During PMQs, I couldn’t hear a single word and I’m sure people in this chamber couldn’t because people like the honourable member for Dewsbury behind me never shut up, all the through as the honour member of Clacton was trying to ask a reasonable question. We do not subscribe to this sort of dog whistle politics in Reform UK.”
Sir Lindsay said: “Mr Farage is capable with his own battles as we’ve seen on many occasions. What I would say is it is about respect, it is about tolerance, that we should show to each other. Because what we do in here is reflected outside so please let us show common sense but respect for each other.”
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