Nigel Farage: Brexit leader uses disabled parking bay for 45 minute M&S shop

Nigel Farage has sparked fury after being filmed using a disabled parking space for a 45-minute M&S shop.

Footage shows the former UKIP leader and Brexit godfather exit a white BMW on North Wharf Road, in Paddington, London, parked in a bay with “disabled” written in white paint on the ground. Farage has previously said “for many people [being disabled] is about a state of mind”.

His chauffeur, who was driving the vehicle, is said to have walked Farage - now president of the resurgent Reform UK - to a building before waiting while smoking cigarettes and buying food.

Farage then exited the building and the pair then stopped off at M&S before returning to the car and leaving. A furious eyewitness - who wished to remain anonymous - said: "It's outrageous. Everyone else has to obey the rules but he can just park in a disabled bay when he makes rules for everybody else."

According to the witness, Farage's driver was parked in the bay from approximately 10.43am to 11.29am on 22 April. Westminster City Council confirmed pick up and set down is permitted in the parking bay - as long as they don't exceed two minutes - but state "subsequent waiting is not allowed without a disabled badge being on display or further exemption". A spokesperson said: "The council monitors these bays to ensure drivers are complying with the rules."

The witness added: "I wasn't too happy - there were other people trying to look for parking spaces, even to the point where they were pulling up beside me. It was busy so lots of people were looking over at that disabled spot then driving off.

"The chauffeur driver saw it then I just saw him reverse into the parking spot. Nigel Farage got out and walked into a building opposite.

"The driver walked him into the building, then came out, gone over to another building across road and eaten food. The driver was smoking cigs, spitting on the floor, they had no care where they were parking."

The witness said Farage came back with an M&S bag in his hand which he didn't appear to have before. "He must have popped to the shops after his meeting," they said.

Representatives of Farage have refused to comment but he previously spoke out about refusing to be registered as partially disabled after major surgery following a near-fatal plane crash during the 2010 General Election.

Speaking in September last year, the GB News presenter said: “After the aeroplane crash that I was involved in in 2010, when the x-rays came back, and I had major surgery, the neurosurgeon said, ‘well, Nigel, with your condition if you want, I can sign you off as partially disabled’ and I told him politely, where to go. You see, I think for many people, this is about a state of mind.”

New research from disability equality charity Scope has revealed that almost eight out of 10 disabled people think politicians are out of touch with their lives, and 74% believe they don’t understand disabled people. More than half (58%) of disabled people think politicians don’t care about them, while six in 10 think the parties will not prioritise their needs at the election. Responding to this, Scope has its “manifesto for an equal future” which calls for all political parties to commit to ending the price tag that comes with disability, to close the disability employment gap and to transform outdated attitudes.

Nigel Farage's office was approached for comment but did not respond.

Ralph Blackburn is NationalWorld’s politics editor based in Westminster, where he gets special access to Parliament, MPs and government briefings. If you liked this article you can follow Ralph on X (Twitter) here and sign up to his free weekly newsletter Politics Uncovered, which brings you the latest analysis and gossip from Westminster every Sunday morning.