Parliamentary Etiquette

HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDON SW1A 0AA

Nigel Farage MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

M. Farage,

Visiting Bermondsey and Old Southwark

I am writing following your public engagement on 7th January in London Bridge, which is in my constituency: Bermondsey and Old Southwark.

I appreciate you are unfamiliar with constituency requirements given your inattention to Clacton since being elected. But given you have spent three decades in and around Parliament, you should be aware that established protocol requires any MP conducting official business in another Member’s constituency to notify the relevant Member in advance. You failed to follow parliamentary protocol on this matter last week. As someone who has so desperately attempted to be in Westminster for such a long time, I hope you are capable of learning and adhering to procedures, although I won’t hold my breath.

Given you have described our capital city as ‘crime-ridden’ and ‘unsafe’ it must have been very difficult for you to pluck up the courage to book a venue in the centre of the capital for your event to promote yet another Tory defect in your ranks. But please do conform to the rules should you ever come back.

Your preference for spending time in London rather than Clacton (which is your constituency by the way), demonstrates the typically deceitful nature of your attacks on our capital. Deep down, you agree with me and the millions of UK and international visitors every year, that London remains our greatest city and well worth spending time in!

I would say I look forward to your next visit to the best constituency, in the best city, in the best country on the planet, but unlike you and the former Tories who riddle your party, I am not comfortable spouting untruths.

Sincerely,

Neil

Neil Coyle MP