With a smug grin plastered across his face, here’s Nigel Farage after enjoying a Brexit anniversary celebration at a posh French eatery.But while Reform’s leader is believed to have spent hours indulging there yesterday, MPs debated defence spending in the Commons. Only earlier this month, Mr Farage took aim at Number 10 on the issue – claiming the country was “defenceless”.Yet he was nowhere to be seen in Parliament’s chamber when an hours-long opposition day debate on defence spending started shortly after 12.30pm on Tuesday.Instead, Mr Farage marked the occasion – one decade on from the UK’s vote to leave the EU – by visiting Saint Jacques in St James’s, central London. He is understood to have been there since at least 1pm, before being pictured leaving at 5.20pm.Nigel Farage leaving Saint Jacques restaurant in St James’s, central London(Image: GoffPhotos.com)Others in attendance included Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice, who left early, and Mr Farage’s close aide George Cottrell – nicknamed “Posh George”. Also there was Brexit-supporting Baroness Hoey, who left at about 4pm, and Leave.EU co-founder Arron Banks. Brexit campaigner Andy Wigmore and former UKIP leadership contender Raheem Kassam were pictured on their way out too.The restaurant’s website boasts: “…we have a passion for traditional dishes combined with a modern twist.” It adds: “Our French windows then open onto our courtyard, a tranquil oasis of a kind rarely found in Central London.”Diners can opt for an array of fancy dishes, including £46 tronçon of wild turbot, garden peas a la française or £27 pressed foie gras terrine with sour cherry chutney. Meanwhile, half a dozen Bourguignon snails are priced at £16 and Côte de bœuf for two with fries is £95.A snap posted on Mr Farage’s Facebook page showing him in what appears to be the restaurant’s courtyard with Mr Tice, Baroness Hoey, Mr Banks and Mr WigmoreOn Tuesday afternoon, a snap was posted on Mr Farage’s Facebook page showing him in what appears to be the restaurant’s courtyard with Mr Tice, Baroness Hoey, Mr Banks and Mr Wigmore.Ex-Labour MP Baroness Hoey shared the same image on X, writing: “Ten years since the wonderful referendum result good to join the ‘Bad Boys of Brexit’ again”.Mr Tice reposted it, adding: “The band back together again to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Brexit”.Leave.EU co-founder Arron Banks (pictured, foreground) and Brexit campaigner Andy Wigmore (Image: GoffPhotos.com)But Farage’s absence from the chamber during the debate on defence spending and readiness – which went on past 4pm – appears not to have gone unnoticed.Shadow defence minister Mark Francois told the Commons: “Perhaps we can achieve some consensus on this: yet again, we are debating defence, our armed forces, and the people who keep us safe, but the plastic patriots of Reform cannot be bothered to turn up.”The Tory MP, who campaigned for Brexit, added: “Does the hon. Gentleman agree that people who wrap themselves in the flag should at least turn up to debate the future of the people whose job it is to defend it?”Labour’s Graeme Downie replied: “I was slightly concerned that I was going to have to disagree with the right hon. Gentleman at this early stage, but I absolutely agree with him. Any politician who wraps themselves in a flag, without there being any substance to their reason for doing so, is not worthy of leading any constituency or party—and certainly not any country.”Nigel Farage’s aide George Cottrell and Brexit-supporting Baroness Hoey(Image: GoffPhotos.com)Mr Farage endured a bruising round of interviews earlier that day, challenged on the undeclared £5million gift he received from Thai-based crypto tycoon Christopher Harborne.Earlier this week, we reported how it is claimed Brexit has cost up to a million jobs and “permanently scarred” the economy.Former UKIP leadership contender Raheem Kassam and Arron Banks(Image: GoffPhotos.com)A Reform UK spokesman said: “Opposition Days have no legislative substance and are used for point scoring, which ironically is what the Mirror are doing here themselves. Reform spoke in the Armed Forced [sic] debate earlier in the week.“Nigel spent three decades campaigning for Brexit. Commemorating the 10-year anniversary of the British people rejecting the Mirror’s editorial line is time well spent.”
