Labour MP Oliver Ryan has taken aim at Nigel Farage after the Reform UK leader said he intends to spend less time in Parliament, joking that the people of Clacton are “so lucky”.
Ryan responded on X to reports that Farage is due to travel to Washington DC next week for an event marking the anniversary of GB News’ launch in the United States.
Quoting the report that Farage would be “spending less time in Parliament”, Ryan wrote:
“‘I’ll be spending less time in Parliament’ and now this, Clacton is so lucky.”
The intervention comes just weeks after Farage was re-elected as MP for Clacton in an unusual by-election triggered by his own decision to resign his seat in July. He won the 13 August contest with 22,239 votes before being sworn back into the Commons on Tuesday.
As he took the oath, Farage told GB News that he planned to spend less time in Parliament and would leave more Westminster work to Reform deputy leader Richard Tice “and the gang” while he toured the country.
His attendance at Westminster has already attracted renewed scrutiny. On his first day back following the summer recess, he appeared to be absent from the chamber while Prime Minister Andy Burnham delivered his first major Commons address and answered MPs’ questions for around three hours. Tice instead questioned the Prime Minister.
His parliamentary record has previously been questioned over the amount of time devoted to outside work. An analysis published by Byline Times earlier this year calculated that Farage had recorded more than 1,100 hours of outside employment since first being elected to Parliament in July 2024.
The Reform leader also continues to face scrutiny over his financial declarations. A parliamentary standards investigation concerning an alleged undeclared £5 million donation was suspended when he resigned his seat and resumed following his re-election.
Ryan’s intervention is likely to add to Labour pressure on Farage over whether his priorities are focused sufficiently on representing his constituents at Westminster.
For Labour, the argument is straightforward: MPs are elected first and foremost to represent their communities, and Ryan’s pointed response seeks to contrast that responsibility with Farage’s growing commitments outside Parliament.
