Farage denies stunt as Reform seeks August by-election

Nigel Farage has denied that his resignation as MP for Clacton and plan to fight for the seat again is a publicity stunt, saying voters should decide whether he has acted properly as scrutiny grows over his finances.

The Reform UK leader stepped down on Tuesday after facing pressure over financial support he received before entering Parliament and the prospect of an investigation by Parliament’s standards watchdog. Reform said it would move the writ to trigger the by-election process and propose holding the vote on 6 August.

“The media are judging me to be a dishonest person, so it is only fair to say to the voters, ‘you judge,’” Farage told the BBC in his first interview since resigning. “They call it a stunt. It’s not a stunt, because real voters will have a vote for an MP.”

Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party have said they will not contest the by-election. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch called the move a “gimmick,” while a Labour spokesperson said the party would not “indulge” Farage. Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the announcement as a “desperate stunt,” according to Al Jazeera, while Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC that Farage wanted to “duck and dive around the rules that apply to everyone.”

Farage rejected that criticism and accused the parties of being “scared” to face him. He said their refusal to take part did not make the contest fake.

A Reform spokesperson said: “Reform UK will move the writ tomorrow morning, and we are proposing a by-election on 6 August.” The writ must be approved by MPs, and a by-election normally takes place between 21 and 27 working days afterward. The BBC reported that it was not yet clear whether the local council could make arrangements for that date.

The parliamentary investigation concerns a £5 million gift Farage received from Thailand-based cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne before he became an MP. Parliament rules require newly elected MPs to declare gifts or benefits received in the previous 12 months if they relate to parliamentary or political activities, though purely personal gifts are exempt. The Guardian reported, according to Al Jazeera, that bankers had referred the donation to the National Crime Agency as potentially laundered money.

Farage has denied wrongdoing. “I have done nothing wrong. I have not broken the law in any way at all. I have not misused public money,” he said Tuesday, according to Al Jazeera. He has argued that the money was a personal gift received before he entered Parliament.

Separately, The Sunday Times reported that Farage received support from George Cottrell, a convicted fraudster and longtime ally, for security and staffing before the 2024 election. Asked by the BBC why he did not declare benefits provided by Cottrell, Farage said: “This is utterly spurious. Utterly spurious. I wasn’t in politics. I was a broadcaster and an influencer and he helped me go out into the English Channel when the boats started to come, film that and make it into a public issue.” He described Cottrell as a Reform volunteer and supporter.

The standards investigation will be suspended during the by-election but could resume if Farage is re-elected. Chancellor Rachel Reeves later said she had accepted his resignation, and a formal notice confirmed he was no longer an MP.

Farage said he wanted to be prime minister but asked that his family’s privacy be respected. If re-elected, he said he would focus locally on potholes and opposing housing developments resisted by residents. “You give me a big vote and we’ll continue our political revolution,” he said.