Nigel Farage will address the media at 11am today, his first London press conference in months as Reform UK leader. The appearance comes after he dramatically quit as MP for Clacton last month, triggering a by-election in the constituency.
Reform UK avoids scrutiny
This time last year, Reform UK was holding weekly press conferences over the summer. In recent months, as pressure over Farage's finances has grown, the party has kept away from scrutiny.
A standards investigation into Farage's failure to declare a £5m gift from Thai-based cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne has been paused since he resigned as an MP. It will restart if he is re-elected in next week's Clacton by-election.
Farage defends £5m gift
The probe was launched in May to examine whether Farage broke parliamentary rules requiring new MPs to declare relevant gifts or donations received in the 12 months before entering the Commons.
Farage has insisted the money was for his security. In later interviews, he said it was not the public's business how he spends the £5m, arguing he was free to spend it on Ferraris or horseracing bets if he wanted.
He triggered the by-election amid the pressure over the gift, saying it was up to constituents to judge him. No other major parties are standing candidates, dismissing the contest as a "gimmick" and a "stunt".
