Reform UK MP Lee Anderson brutally mocked his former Conservative colleague Simon Clarke after the ex-Tory MP attacked Reform leader Nigel Farage for going on holiday this week. Mr Farage was blasted by both the Tories and Labour for going away during the week the Prime Minister announced his Brexit reset.

Writing on X, Mr Clarke, who served as Housing Secretary under Liz Truss, said: “Politicians deserve holidays like everyone else. But the Commons only sits for half the year.

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“For Farage to be absent this week of all weeks just about sums it up – his politics is about ego, social media, *anything* but the hard yards of holding the Government to account in Parliament. And to think his acolytes dare have the nerve to repeat the trope Kemi doesn’t work hard enough, when I know firsthand she works herself to the bone.

“Farage is an emperor without any clothes.”

In response, Lee Anderson, who defected from the Tories to Reform in March 2024, after serving as a Tory MP since 2019, quipped: “You went on your hols on 4th July last year. Wished you were here”.

Nigel Farage came in for criticism after it was revealed he had taken his “first overseas break for three years”. The timing meant he missed the unveiling of the Prime Minister’s reset agreement and was unable to debate it in the Commons on Tuesday.

He told The Times: “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 as Reform moves to the next stage.

He added: “Meanwhile I am having my first overseas break for three years, the jungle excepted. Well I say break… plenty of articles and fundraising calls.”

A Conservative Party spokesman said: “On the day that the Labour Government surrenders our national interest to the EU and betrays our fishermen, the part-time leader of Reform UK is sunning himself in Europe while Parliament is sitting. He clearly doesn’t have the stamina to stand up to Starmer.

“Only the Conservatives are providing proper opposition to this disastrous Labour Government.”

A Labour spokesman said: “Nigel Farage clearly cares so passionately about this issue he’s decided he can’t get up from his sunbed to represent his constituents or his party.

“He’s not a leader – he’s an opportunist who just talks Britain down whenever it suits him.”