Nigel Farage claims he was forced to resign as an MP
The Reform leader says ‘the political establishment’ forced him to trigger a by-election
Nigel Farage has claimed that he never wanted to step down as the MP for Clacton and trigger a by-election, but that he was forced to do so by “the political establishment”.
Setting out his stall to constituents ahead of the Clacton by-election tomorrow, Farage told The Metro newspaper that the contest was “forced” upon him.
Farage said: “I did not want to resign as your MP and have this by-election. But the political establishment forced it upon me.”
The Reform leader announced his resignation as an MP on 7 July amid mounting pressure and media scrutiny over the undeclared £5 million gift he received from Christopher Harborne in April 2024.
Farage was being investigated by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner when he resigned, over whether he should have declared that income.
If he is returned to Parliament tomorrow, that investigation is expected to resume.
When he stood down as Clacton’s MP at the beginning of July, Farage said he had done so because the “people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions”, and not “the Establishment”.
According to the chief executive of Tendring District Council, Ian Davidson, the council by-election is expected to cost a quarter of million pounds in taxpayer money.
Farage initially offered for Reform to pay for the by-election, but the proposal was quickly rejected over concerns it would undermine the independence of the election.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
Left Foot Forward doesn't have the backing of big business or billionaires. We rely on the kind and generous support of ordinary people like you.
You can support hard-hitting journalism that holds the right to account, provides a forum for debate among progressives, and covers the stories the rest of the media ignore. Donate today.
Donate today
