Farage skips Budget, saying he feared a physical altercation over seating

Nigel Farage skipped the Chancellor's first Budget in the House of Commons on 28 October 2026, saying he feared a physical altercation with another MP over seating arrangements. The Budget is the Chancellor's annual statement on taxes and spending. Farage's account of the dispute was that another MP had removed a green paper slip, known as a prayer card, that was saving him a seat. He said that led him to give parliament a wide berth.

Farage also said he had been involved in a physical altercation with an MP in the chamber during the state opening of parliament, the ceremony that marks the start of a new session.

After the Budget, Farage gave a joint press conference with Robert Jenrick, whom the reports identify as Reform UK's Treasury spokesperson. Much of the discussion turned to the Budget's measures.

The government announced a further £10 billion of economic and military support for Ukraine, which it described as the largest ever package of financial backing for Ukraine. The Budget speech said the support would be made up of loans, Export Finance guarantees and £0.5 billion in urgent military funding.

Farage said he was shocked by the £10 billion figure. He said he did not mind the amount, provided it was not swallowed up by corruption or used to make Ukrainian officials richer.

On cryptocurrency, Farage confirmed that Reform UK still had a policy of cutting capital gains tax, the tax on profits from selling assets, on crypto. He advocated a 10% tax rate on crypto gains, which he said would encourage people to move into the regulated system.

He also criticised the Budget's higher machine-games duty, a tax on gaming machines in betting shops, which he said would hit gambling shops.

Farage said the Chancellor, John Healey, had given away enough in the Budget to suggest a general election in May next year. He added that Reform would be ready as early as December.