The claim that Nigel Farage's confirmation at age 13 was voluntary is a claim about a personal experience and state of mind from approximately 1977. The only direct evidence is Farage's own statement in an interview: "I did get confirmed when I was 13 – that was a voluntary thing." While the Church of England's own guidance confirms that confirmation is "a choice not a requirement" and that those being confirmed make the promises "for yourself" (rather than having promises made on their behalf as at baptism), this only establishes that the rite is designed to be voluntary in general. Whether Farage personally experienced his own confirmation as voluntary — as opposed to feeling pressure from family, school, or social expectations — is a private matter that cannot be independently corroborated or contradicted by public evidence. No public records document the circumstances of his confirmation, and the claim rests on his own testimony about his personal experience and state of mind at the time. Sources: - Church of England, Confirmation FAQs: https://www.churchofengland.org/life-events/confirmations/confirmation-faqs - The National Pulse, "Farage Explains Why He Won't Go to His Local Church" (March 28, 2024): https://thenationalpulse.com/2024/03/28/farage-explains-why-he-wont-go-to-his-local-church/ - Wikipedia, Nigel Farage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigel_Farage