To the Commons, where just after midday Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered a statement on his brand new UK-EU deal. Sir Keir told MPs that the new agreement would ‘strengthen our borders’ and ‘release us from the tired arguments of the past’ on Brexit. But as opposition politicians heckled – ‘tell that to the fishermen!’ one yelled – there was one notable absence in the Chamber. The Brexit kingpin himself, Reform UK’s very own Nigel Farage, was nowhere to be seen. How very strange…
One would think that this was a moment Farage would not want to miss – given Starmer’s deal has given rise to accusations that the Labour PM is ‘betraying’ Brexit less than a year into his premiership. Already, Sir Keir’s deal – which includes a controversial youth migrant scheme and makes concessions to the EU over fishing rights – has been torn apart by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, who slammed it as a ‘stitch up’, with Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey bemoaning the fact the deal didn’t go further and the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn calling Starmer’s EU market access claims ‘simply absurd’. At this point, Steerpike would have been rather interested to hear the thoughts of Brexit campaigner-in-chief Farage – yet it was his deputy Richard Tice who had to take the reins instead.
Wherever could the Reform founder be? Well, it has since transpired this evening via the Times that instead of attending the Commons debate, Farage has, er, jetted off to France. Alright for some! For his part, the Reform leader said: ‘There seems to be great consternation in the press that they have not seen me for 48 hours. Well, they will have to wait some time. After months of touring the UK in the run up to our hugely successful local election campaign I will resume travelling the country next week.’
Farage may not be a fan of Sir Keir forging closer ties with Europe – but he seems to have no problem basking in the delights of the EU when it suits him…
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