Summary
Nigel Farage says he will resign as an MP for Clacton, triggering a by-election which he says he will stand in
“This will be a people versus the establishment by-election,” he says in a video statement, adding “the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions”
It comes amid a row over his financial support, after the Sunday Times reported he had not declared benefits, including staff and security, received from long-time ally George Cottrell
“I’ve done nothing wrong,” he says, adding he has “not broken the law in any way at all” as he criticises the media for “haranguing” his family
The Reform UK leader has also faced questions about a £5m gift from Reform UK donor Christopher Harborne in early 2024 which he did not register – he said the money was for his personal security
Henry Zeffman analysis: This is a bold political gambit, and it’s worth stating that if Farage were to win this by-election, investigations into him will resume – that is what Parliament’s rules are
By-election marks ninth attempt by Farage for Clacton seat
Joe Pike
Political correspondent
Nigel Farage will be contesting the Clacton seat 30 years after he first stood in a by-election. In Eastleigh in 1994, he stood for UKIP and came fourth behind the Liberal Democrats, Labour and the Conservatives.
This will be the ninth time Farage has fought a Westminster seat: he lost seven times before his victory in Clacton in 2024.
Restore UK’s Lowe: Clacton residents ‘do not need media circus’
Brian Wheeler
Reporting from the House of Commons
Nigel Farage’s arch rival Rupert Lowe wastes no time in attacking the Reform UK leader’s by-election announcement.
Lowe formed his own party, Restore Britain, after a spectacular falling out with Farage and is proving to be a persistent thorn in Reform’s side.
In a post on X, Lowe says: “The people of Clacton do not need a media circus descending on their town over a busy tourist season because their MP has made a series of bad decisions.
“He should have declared that five million pounds. He knows it. We all know it. Now he is going to weaponise a by-election to distract from that.”
Lowe adds: “I will be making an announcement later today about Restore Britain’s plans for the Clacton by-election.”
