Reform UK leader Nigel Farage chose a luxury lunch and gun shop visits over attending a crucial House of Commons immigration debate on Wednesday, raising questions about his political priorities.
A Culinary Interlude During Parliamentary Business
While MPs debated the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, Farage was dining at the upmarket Indian restaurant Chutney Mary in St James's, London. The Michelin guide describes the establishment, located just a short walk from Buckingham Palace, as having a 'relaxed, fashionable feel'.
The Reform UK leader, who has made tackling migration central to his political platform, enjoyed a two-hour lunch until approximately 3pm. The restaurant's menu features premium dishes including £68 tandoori lobster and £45 chargrilled wild prawns.
Post-Lunch Firearms Excursion
Following his lengthy meal, Farage's afternoon took him to two prestigious firearms retailers. His first stop was William Evans, a gun and rifle-maker established in 1883, where he spent about 15 minutes and purchased a £30 pair of gloves.
He then proceeded to the firearms store Beretta, remaining there until 3.35pm. Farage's preferred weapon for shooting is reportedly a Beretta, aligning with his 2014 comments calling for Britain's handgun ban to be relaxed, which he described as 'ludicrous'.
Farage was accompanied during these excursions by his entourage, including an ally known as Posh George - identified as George Cottrell, whose mother is a Reform UK donor and who previously served jail time in the US for wire fraud.
Political Fallout and Context
The absence from Wednesday's debate appears particularly significant given Reform UK's suggested policy of deporting 600,000 migrants over five years if elected. During the debate Farage missed, Border Security and Asylum minister Alex Norris outlined government plans for 'significant reforms to the UK's asylum and illegal migration system'.
In response to criticism, a spokesman for Nigel Farage stated: 'Since becoming an MP in July 2024, Nigel Farage has voted more times in the House of Commons than Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch put together.'
This incident follows recent accusations from Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, who claimed Farage wants to turn Britain into 'Trump's America' and would relax gun laws, potentially forcing schools to teach children 'what to do in case of a mass shooting'.
