Row erupts over Farage constituency surgeries after he told LBC the public ‘will flow through door with knives'
19 September 2024, 15:08 | Updated: 19 September 2024, 16:47
A row has erupted over Nigel Farage’s decision to not hold any in-person constituency surgeries.
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Earlier today, Mr Farage told LBC that for 'security reasons' he will be doing all meetings over Zoom and not holding any in-person surgeries in Clacton-on-Sea.
He confirmed to Nick Ferrari he is not doing in-person constituency surgeries in Clacton-on-Sea because he’s been advised by the Speaker's Office not to for security reasons.
Mr Farage told Nick Ferrari that he was not prepared to allow ‘the public to flow through the door with their knives in their pockets.”
But the Speaker's Office and Parliament's security team have dismissed his claims, saying they have no recollection of telling Mr Farage that he should not hold in-person surgeries in his constituency.
Sources said neither would have advised any MP not to hold a surgery because this would interfere with their democratic duties, but would instead be offered security advice on how measures could be taken to ensure their safety.
There is no record of such advice ever having been given to Mr Farage, it is understood, in contrast to his claim earlier on Thursday that he had been told by the Speaker's Office not to hold physical surgeries.
However, the Clacton MP has doubled down on his claims, with his spokesperson telling LBC: “Nigel has been advised against holding in person surgeries by the Parliamentary Security Department and the Home Office until physical measures have been put in place that ensure the safety of him, his staff and the general public”.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he would advise MPs to take advice from Parliament's security team and "do so safely" if they asked him for advice on holding surgeries.
The Commons Speaker 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."
Nigel Farage takes your calls with Nick Ferrari | Watch again
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."
During a phone-in this morning, Mr Farage told a listener: "Am I allowing the public to flow through the door with their knives in their pockets? No, I'm not" he said, in reference to murdered Southen MP David Amess.
He added he is dealing with emails and phonecalls from Clacton residents.
Back in June, the Reform UK leader had a milkshake thrown at him while out campaigning in Essex.
He also previously had a drink thrown over him during a European elections walkabout in Newcastle in 2019.
Paul Crowther was ordered to pay Mr Farage compensation after he pleaded guilty to common assault and criminal damage.
During the phone-in this morning, Mr Farage refused to apologise for comments he made during the summer riots, and blamed “lies and incitement.. from Labour and Conservative politicians."
“I asked a very simple question. Can we please be told the truth. That was all.”
When challenged over his comments on whether the Southport attacker was known to security services, Mr Farage said: “I asked a question - was he known to the security services?
“They still haven’t told us the truth. What I thought vindicated me wholly was Jonathan Hall KC who is the tsar for terrorism and rioting backed up by Lord Carlisle both said that the government and police need to level with the public.
"If they’d levelled with the public I don’t think those riots would have been anything like the scale they were.”
Research from Savanta carried out in the summer found 51% of the UK public think Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was “responsible” for the violent protests that erupted over the UK this summer.
Over the summer, Mr Farage was accused of ‘giving legitimacy’ to violent protesters and excusing disorder.
There were violent demonstrations across the country after a knife attack in Southport in which three young girls died.
Police officers were hospitalised in ensuing rioting, with officers attacked by bricks, property destroyed, cars set alight and local communities terrorised.
Nigel Farage is convinced that there's some truth in Trump's claims that migrants are eating pets
He also said he believes Donald Trump's claims that Haitan immigrants in Springfield, Ohio are eating pets, adding that the ex-president is always "proven to be right".
Mr Farage defended Trump's claims: "Whenever he says something like this, that sounds absolutely crackers; in the end, there always proves to be some truth in it.
When pressed by Nick to say whether he personally believed that Haitian immigrants are eating pet cats and dogs, Mr Farage said: "I'll have a tenner with you that within the next month or so, we find some evidence of it, what the scale of it is, I have no idea.
The Reform UK leader doubled down on his support for the American presidential candidate, arguing that Trump is usually "proven to be right".
