The Reform UK leader is gambling on “a people versus the establishment by-election” as scrutiny over his finances mounts.
Nigel Farage resigned as a MP from the British parliament Tuesday forcing a by-election amid intense scrutiny of his financial arrangements.
In a statement, the man behind Brexit, said he will stand as a candidate in a race designed to bolster his personal support in the seaside town of Clacton.
“I thought about it hard, and I’ve decided today, I will resign as a member of parliament for Clacton on Sea, thereby forcing a by-election,” he said.
“This will be a people versus the establishment by-election. It’s a chance to stick two fingers up to the entire establishment, to frankly tell them where to go,” he added.
Farage will be Reform UK’s candidate in the by-election which should take place within weeks. He easily won the seat with a 8,405 majority in the 2024 general election.
The move was announced in a press conference in London and came after weeks of scrutiny over a £5 million payment to the right-wing populist leader. Reform UK continues to lead in the national polls.
He is currently being investigated by Parliament over whether he broke House of Commons rules by failing to declare the donation from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. He has stressed that he was not obliged to declare the gift because he received it before he was elected to Parliament and it was a donation to fund his security.
Farage said the publication of a picture of his daughter’s home in a national newspaper had been the “final straw” in his decision to call a by-election and he defended the right of public people to make money.
“We absolutely need successful people from all walks of life — but particularly from business and industry,” he argued. “We need them not just in parliament we need them in government if we are even going to have half a chance of turning around the dire economic state this country.”
