Reform UK leader hits back at fresh attack by Prime Minister as he stages latest PMQs protest

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (Image: Times Radio)

Nigel Farage hit back at Sir Keir Starmer after he kicked off PMQs with another swipe at Reform UK. The Reform leader did not attend the Commons as part of his ongoing protest and instead appeared on Times Radio.

Sir Keir began the session by saying: “I hope all colleagues had a happy Christmas. It probably feels quite a long time ago now, but not for Reform, of course, because today is the day that they celebrate Christmas in Russia.”

But hitting back at Sir Keir on the radio, Mr Farage said: “Our Beijing-obsessed Prime Minister with serious questions to answer about his administration’s links to the Chinese Communist Party can have whatever fun he likes.”

Reform’s former leader in Wales Nathan Gill was jailed last year after admitting taking bribes to make pro-Russian statements in the European Parliament.

Mr Farage had said he would not attend the Commons to be “abused by a failing Prime Minister without any right of reply”.

The Clacton MP wrote on X: “Rather than sit in the Commons and be abused by a failing Prime Minister without any right of reply, I will join Times Radio live from 12pm to give my analysis.”

Sir Keir Starmer began PMQs with an attack on Reform UK (Image: PA)

It is Mr Farage’s latest PMQs protest as he has repeatedly complained about being attacked by Sir Keir without being able to reply.

The Clacton MP has watched several sessions from the side gallery over the last few months.

Mr Farage does not get a weekly question at PMQs because Reform is not one of the biggest opposition parties in terms of the number of MPs it has.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch gets six questions each week, while Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey gets two.

But Mr Farage has argued he should be given a weekly question as Reform is consistently leading national opinion polls.