Andy Burnham has issued a statement after Nigel Farage announced his resignation as MP for Clacton on Tuesday afternoon (July 7). The Reform UK leader's departure came amid intense scrutiny over financial support from a convicted fraudster and a previous £5 million gift from a party donor.
Farage Faces Investigations Over Funding
Farage has been under pressure following reports that long-time ally George Cottrell 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, given Farage's prominence in Reform even before returning to frontline politics. The party also questioned whether Montenegro-based Cottrell was a permissible donor, as it was unclear if he was on the UK electoral register at the time.
Farage was already facing a parliamentary investigation over a £5m gift from Reform donor Christopher Harborne before becoming an MP. In a video statement released shortly after 2pm on Tuesday, he accused the media of harassment and vowed to fight a “people versus the establishment” by-election, claiming standards investigations are “now being used as a political tool”.
Burnham: 'A Gimmick to Distract'
A spokesperson for Makerfield MP and former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the by-election triggered by Farage was a 'gimmick' to distract from the row about his finances. “This is a gimmick designed to distract from serious allegations about Farage’s funders,” they said. “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 also condemned the move, stating: “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.”
Badenoch and Davey React
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Farage was having a “hissy fit” and “cracking under the pressure”. Speaking at the Politico Live event, she argued: “There shouldn’t be a by-election on his terms. What there should be is a by-election if the investigation finds him guilty. Those are the rules.” She urged the Clacton MP to “man up and answer some questions” instead of triggering an “ego by-election”.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey urged the Government to block the by-election until after the conclusion of the standards investigation. “If this by-election does go ahead now, we are calling on all parties to stand aside and refuse to give oxygen to Farage’s vanity project,” he said. “But the Government should just say no to Farage’s ego-trip and block his resignation until the Standards Commissioner has finished investigating him. The people of Clacton should have all the facts before they cast their votes.”
