Nigel Farage’s attempt to shake off a deepening donations scandal by calling a byelection appeared to backfire as his main rivals announced they would boycott the contest. In a defiant announcement on Tuesday, the Reform UK leader said he was quitting as the MP for Clacton to fight again for his seat, claiming he wanted to be judged by voters, not the establishment or the media.
Farage cites plot against Reform, media pile-on
Farage alleged there was a plot to prevent a Reform government and accused the media of a “pile-on” and harassing his family. He also said the party would cover the costs of a byelection, which can exceed £250,000. However, opponents quickly accused him of diverting attention from serious allegations about failing to declare a £5m gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne and financial support from convicted fraudster George Cottrell. Both donations are under investigation by the parliamentary standards watchdog.
Conservatives, Labour, Lib Dems, Restore Britain boycott
Within hours, the Conservatives, Labour, Restore Britain, and the Liberal Democrats all announced they would not stand candidates, calling the byelection a “media circus” and a “vanity project”. The Lib Dems also called for the byelection to be blocked until the standards inquiry verdict, which would be suspended during a byelection and potentially resumed afterwards.
A byelection could take place as soon as August. Initially, parties were torn over whether to try to oust Farage or avoid giving him a platform to air grievances about the investigations. However, almost all decided against participating. Rupert Lowe of Restore Britain was the first to say his party would not run until after the standards commissioner’s verdict.
Greens consider standing, Labour opts out
The Greens were the only party to confirm they wanted to oppose him, but discussions continued in the local party on Tuesday night about whether to field a candidate. Labour’s ruling executive decided to opt out after a meeting on Tuesday night, with a spokesperson saying Farage is “engulfed in a sleaze scandal and he’s desperately trying to change the subject. It’s pathetic, and the Labour party is not going to indulge it.”
A senior ally of Andy Burnham, expected to become Labour leader and prime minister later this month, said the party was wary of engaging all its firepower at a Clacton byelection when the new prime minister aimed to dominate messaging during the summer recess. “We need to get out to the country, all guns blazing, real positivity and lots of big announcements focused on hopes. I would be very worried if we got distracted by a Clacton sideshow,” one said. Another Labour figure said the party should let Farage fight the contest against novelty candidate Count Binface to expose the process as a farce.
Tory leader: Farage cracking under pressure
A spokesperson for Burnham called the byelection a “gimmick designed to distract from serious allegations about Farage’s funders”. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Farage was throwing a “hissy fit” and “cracking under pressure” as he cannot handle scrutiny. “There should not be a byelection on his terms. There should be a byelection if the investigation finds him guilty,” she said. Starmer said Farage’s announcement was “a desperate stunt” from a man “up to his neck in sleaze”.
Farage: People versus establishment
In his afternoon statement, Farage said he had done nothing wrong and claimed the standards system is being used as a “political tool”. “I thought about it hard and I’ve decided today I will resign as a member of parliament for Clacton-on-Sea, thereby forcing a byelection … I’ve decided that the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions,” he said. “This will be a people versus the establishment byelection. 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 byelection. I will fight to win. I will fight to continue the political revolution that Reform has started and I would say this to you, the voters of Clacton: If I win, you win.”
Farage won the seat with a majority of 8,400 in 2024, with the Conservatives second and Labour third. However, he could face tactical voting if progressive parties unite or an anti-sleaze independent candidate emerges.
Supporters praise decision, rivals criticize
Supporters of Farage praised his decision as brave. Reform’s home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, called it “history being made” after Farage “laid down the gauntlet to the establishment”, with the future of the UK at stake. Another inner-circle member, Raheem Kassam, said it “defangs the media, turning any and all issues into a democratic exercise, rather than allowing himself to be tried by the nation’s corrupt press”, and that it “stuffs the Tories and Restore” as well as neutralising the parliamentary standards investigation. “If, somehow, he loses, it will be with his head held high, having put the voters first. It beats being browbeaten by the press, or by some bureaucrat,” he added.
Reform sources were particularly pleased that Lowe’s party decided not to run. A source close to Farage’s operation said: “Just as we knew he would, Rupert Lowe IQ punked out with a statement showing he’s on the side of the deep state apparatus against Farage.” The contest is now likely to be a fight between Farage and the Greens or independent local candidates seeking to prevent his return to parliament.
