Nigel Farage's attempt to fight a by-election risks falling flat, with the major parties saying they will not contest the vote he has triggered. The Reform UK leader announced his resignation as MP on Tuesday afternoon (July 7), triggering a by-election in Clacton-on-Sea. His resignation came amid intense scrutiny over financial support given to him by a convicted fraudster, and a previous £5 million gift from a Reform UK donor.
Funding Scandals Prompt Resignation
Mr Farage has been under pressure following reports that long-term ally George Cottrell had provided funding for security and staffing in the year before he was elected. Labour had asked the Electoral Commission to investigate whether the support should have been declared because Mr Farage was a prominent figure in Reform even before he returned to frontline politics. The party also questioned whether Montenegro-based Mr Cottrell was a permissible donor, claiming it was not clear whether he was on a UK electoral register at the time. Mr Farage was already facing a parliamentary investigation over a £5m gift he received from Reform donor Christopher Harborne before he became an MP.
Farage's Defiant Announcement
Yesterday he announced he would quit as an MP, saying that the voters in Clacton 'should be the judges of my actions'. Mr Farage 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, and that is why I will be putting my name forward to stand in this by-election.”
Major Parties Boycott the Vote
But Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain have all said they will not stand candidates and accused Mr Farage of seeking to distract from the probes he faces. His only confirmed challenger so far is the satirical candidate Count Binface.
Andy Burnham, Makerfield MP and the likely next prime minister, said the by-election triggered by Nigel Farage was a 'gimmick' to distract from the row about the Reform UK leader’s finances. A spokesperson for Mr Burnham said: "This is a gimmick designed to distract from serious allegations about Farage’s funders. What really matters in politics is how we can change Westminster to take power for communities and bring it back to people to make life more affordable for them."
Outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “This is a desperate stunt from Nigel Farage. It’s obvious why he is doing it. He is up to his neck in sleaze. Politics should be about improving the lives of millions of people, not about personal gain, not about hiding dodgy donations, and I think the public will see this for exactly what it is.”
Conservative Leader Calls It a 'Hissy Fit'
Kemi Badenoch said Nigel Farage was having a 'hissy fit' and 'cracking under the pressure' after he announced he would stand down as an MP and trigger a by-election in Clacton that he would run in. “There shouldn’t be a by-election on his terms,” the Conservative leader told the Politico Live event. "What there should be is a by-election if the investigation finds him guilty. Those are the rules."
Farage Denies Wrongdoing, Offers to Pay Costs
The Clacton MP maintains he has done nothing wrong and has accused Westminster opponents of using sleaze investigations as a 'political tool' and the media of 'haranguing' his family. The Reform UK chief said he had offered for Reform UK to pay the cost of the vote after criticism that it was a waste of taxpayer money.
But the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government poured cold water on the idea. An MHCLG spokesperson said: “To maintain the independence and impartiality of the electoral process, the law is clear that the cost of running elections must be met from public funds, and not by candidates or political parties. Individuals or groups can, of course, make voluntary donations to the Consolidated Fund in the normal way, but these are not ring-fenced to pay for specific costs or events."
