Farage will not hold face-to-face surgeries

Clacton MP Nigel Farage says people will target him if he holds face-to-face meetings

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he would not hold face-to-face surgeries in his constituency over fears the public will "flow through doors with knives in their pockets".

Mr Farage became an MP after he won a seat in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex in July.

He told radio station LBC he had been advised not to accommodate the "old-style" physical meetings between MPs and constituents.

Mr Farage said: "Do I have an office in Clacton? Yes. Am I allowing the public to flow through the door with their knives in their pockets? No, no I'm not."

When asked why Clacton residents would flow through the door with knives in their pockets, he said: "Well they did in Southend.

"They murdered David Amess and he was a far less controversial figure than me."

Conservative politician Sir David was fatally stabbed during a surgery in his Southend West constituency in 2021 by an Islamic State-supporting terrorist.

Following Mr Farage's claim that he had been advised not to hold in-person surgeries by the Speaker's Office, the Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he would advise MPs to take advice from parliament's security team and "do so safely" if they asked him for advice on holding surgeries.

He said: "As a constituency MP in Chorley, I hold regular surgeries myself with constituents - and whenever a member asks for my advice on this matter, I always say that if you are going to hold constituency surgeries make sure you take advice from the Parliamentary Security Department - and do so safely."

A House of Commons spokesperson said: "The ability for MPs to perform their parliamentary duties safely, both on and off the estate, is fundamental to our democracy.

"The Parliamentary Security Department , working closely with the police, offer all MPs a range of security measures for those with offices or surgeries in their constituencies - helping to ensure a safe working environment.

"We do not comment on individual MPs' security arrangements or advice because we would not wish to compromise the safety of MPs, parliamentary staff or members of the public, but these are kept under continuous review."

'Jaywick needs improvement'

In a separate interview with BBC Essex, Mr Farage pledged to use his "national connections" to help regenerate the deprived coastal village of Jaywick.

Tendring District Council (TDC) has a £120m regeneration plan for the area.

He said: "The plan is ambitious but I will try and help in anyway I can. It would be a good thing but it does need cash.

"Jaywick needs more investment".

He added: "We can't pretend... MPs aren't miracle workers but there are circumstances were they can have a positive impact."

Mr Farage overturned a Conservative majority of more than 25,000 to comfortably win his seat.

Since becoming an MP, Mr he has faced claims he was not taking his job seriously.

The politician was accused of not prioritising his role after he spent time in the US endorsing Donald Trump's presidential campaign.