Farage backtracks over claim he was told to avoid voters over safety

Nigel Farage backtracked today on claims he was advised by Commons authorities not to hold voter surgeries in Clacton on security grounds.

Last month, the Reform UK leader said he had been advised not to hold regular 'old-style' physical meetings to address locals' problems in case they 'flow through the door' carrying blades 'in their pockets'.

In a phone-in with LBC he said the guidance had come from Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle's office. But his claims were disputed by parliamentary sources, who said no such advice had been given as it would interfere with his democratic duties.

Asked about the row on Monday, Mr Farage bluntly told a press conference 'the Speaker's Office is always right', before abruptly trying to end the press conference early. 

He had to be prompted from off-stage to go on to discuss the party's new political broadcast. 

Since becoming an MP in July, the Reform leader has been repeatedly accused of not prioritising his Commons role, coming under fire for spending time in the US in particular and not holding in-person surgeries in his Clacton constituency.

During the phone-in on LBC in September, Mr Farage suggested he had not yet held an in-person surgery for security reasons.

The surgeries are a chance for voters to meet their MP and bring forward any local issues and concerns they would like help with.  

'Do I have an office in Clacton? Yes. Am I allowing the public to flow through the door with their knives in their pockets? No, no I'm not,' Mr Farage replied.

Asked why would the people of Clacton want to flow through the door with knives in their pockets, he said: 'Well they did in Southend. They murdered David Amess, and he was a far less controversial figure than me.'

Asked whether he had been advised for his own security not to hold surgeries, he replied: 'I would have thought that would make sense, wouldn't you?'

He said the guidance had been given by 'the Speaker's (Sir Lindsay Hoyle's) Office, and beneath the Speaker's Office there is a security team who give advice and say you should do some things and not do others'.

'So we're not in a fit state to do the old-style surgeries, but do you know what, if you've got something to say to me as a Clacton resident, Zoom is not the end of the world,' Mr Farage added.

But it is understood there is no record of this advice having been given to the MP by either the Speaker's Office or Parliament's security team and neither have any recollection of such a conversation.

At the time, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay said: 'As a constituency MP in Chorley, I hold regular surgeries myself with constituents – and whenever a Member asks for my advice on this matter, I always say that if you are going to hold constituency surgeries, make sure you take advice from the Parliamentary Security Department – and do so safely.'

A House of Commons spokesperson said: 'The ability for MPs to perform their Parliamentary duties safely, both on and off the estate, is fundamental to our democracy.

'The Parliamentary Security Department (PSD), working closely with the police, offer all MPs a range of security measures for those with offices or surgeries in their constituencies, helping to ensure a safe working environment.

'We do not comment on individual MPs' security arrangements or advice because we would not wish to compromise the safety of MPs, Parliamentary staff or members of the public, but these are kept under continuous review.'