Nigel Farage refused to take his seat in the Commons chamber for PMQs, instead choosing to watch from the public gallery.
Interviewed by host JJ Anisiobi, Ms Malone echoed Mr Farage’s complaint that the session is “rigged” by Labour, with the Reform UK leader repeatedly attacked by Sir Keir Starmer and backbenchers without any right of reply. Ms Malone said: “Well, they’re never given the chance to talk. Whenever he has a question, they ignore his question or he gets shouted down. They make so much noise in there.
Nigel Farage has been backed by Carol Malone (Image: GETTY/Express)
Sir Keir Starmer during PMQs (Image: GETTY)
“Now, that just tells me that not only are some of the idiots in the House behaving like animals, but it also tells me they’re terrified of him.”
Her remarks highlight the ongoing frustration of Mr Farage: despite Reform UK surging in polls and holding five MPs, parliamentary conventions deny the party leader regular questions at PMQs, reducing him to a bystander as opponents target him freely. Mr Farage has staged gallery protests multiple times this year, vowing not to serve as a “punching bag”.
Ms Malone raged: “They’re terrified of him saying something that resonates with people. Most of what Labour is saying doesn’t resonate with anybody, and not much from the Tories either. But Farage is quickly becoming the voice of this country.”
PMQs questions are not distributed on the basis of polling strength, but through party size, the Speaker’s discretion and the lottery of the ballot.
A spokesperson for the Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, said: “Like all members, any Reform MP can enter the weekly ballot for PMQs, which randomly picks the first 15 questions for the session… In addition, if the ballot doesn’t provide cross-party balance, the Speaker has discretion on the day to call a Member, within the timeframe of PMQs, who is bobbing in order to achieve party balance.
“Furthermore, under a new system introduced by this Speaker to support smaller parties, the Leader of Reform is also allocated a PMQ by default every nine weeks. Of course, if any Member wishes to raise an issue in the Chamber they can do so on a point of order.”
The Mirror reported that Farage has not requested a PMQs question since July.
