Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, has revealed that his car was written off after he was attacked by a mob of about 50 people at a local village pub. The politician shared the anecdote moments before announcing his resignation as the MP for Clacton on Tuesday, citing a series of "attacks" he has endured in recent years.
Farage describes terrifying pub attack
According to Farage, the incident occurred on a Sunday afternoon a few years ago. "In come the mob, about 50 of them. We decided the safest thing to do was, as quickly as possible, to get into the car and to drive away. But the mob surrounded the car. Banging on the bonnet and the windscreen, kicking the side of the doors. It was a genuinely dangerous and terrifying situation to be in," he said.
The car was a total loss, but Farage said he did not file an insurance claim and tried to keep the matter private. "I did everything I could not to make it public. But these are the kind of things I've had to put up with over many, many years," he added.
Escalating attacks on Farage
Farage noted that such incidents have become more frequent over the past year, including an attack on his home that he described as "similar to the one that the Prime Minister suffered." He had previously stated that his home was firebombed.
The revelation came as Farage announced he would step down as an MP and trigger a by-election, following intense scrutiny over undeclared donations and support. In a video statement, the Clacton MP asserted, "I have done nothing wrong. I have not broken the law in any way at all." He accused the media of harassment and framed the upcoming by-election as a "people versus the establishment" battle.
Donations scandal triggers resignation
Farage has faced calls for investigations after reports emerged that long-term ally George Cottrell had provided undeclared funding for security and staffing in the year before Farage was elected. Cottrell reportedly recruited and paid three staff to work on Farage's social media before the general election and allowed him to use a five-storey Georgian property near Buckingham Palace.
Under Commons rules, new MPs must register gifts worth more than £300 received in the previous 12 months, unless the gift "could not be reasonably thought by others" to relate to their political activities. Farage is already under a parliamentary standards investigation over a £5 million gift from Reform donor Christopher Harborne before becoming an MP.
Labour and the Liberal Democrats have called on both the Electoral Commission and the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards to investigate the support from Cottrell. Farage dismissed the standards investigations as "now being used as a political tool."
By-election and implications
Farage's resignation means that Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Daniel Greenberg's investigation into the £5 million donation is suspended. However, if Farage wins the by-election and returns to Parliament, the investigation will resume.
