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London: British right-wing leader Nigel Farage has made the shock decision to quit parliament following a series of media reports about his links to wealthy donors – and said he will contest a by-election to prove he has the public mandate to stay in politics.
The decision means voters in his regional electorate will be asked to decide whether to keep Farage as a local member or reject him over questions about donations he received from a billionaire investor and aristocrat convicted of fraud.
UK Reform Party leader Nigel Farage announces his resignation as a Member of Parliament and his intention to stand in a by-election to reclaim his seat.Getty Images
Farage said he was outraged by the media’s intrusion into his private life and said he had done nothing wrong by receiving help from his wealthy friends, saying parliamentary rules were not intended to limit an MP’s private life.
After calling a press conference at 2pm in London on Tuesday (11pm that day AEST), the UK Reform Party leader received media coverage of his decision to test voter support in his own seat.
The move is unusual in the Westminster system, in which MPs routinely switch parties or go independent without testing their popular support in by-elections.
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The move could cost several hundred thousand pounds due to the cost of holding a by-election and counting votes in Clacton-on-Sea, which is north-east of London.
After speaking out for 14 minutes about his concerns about his privacy and media reports about the financial support he has received, Farage announced a surprise move to put his fate in the hands of local voters.
He rebuked the media for their reporting and said they should not have any power over his future.
“Why should they decide my fate if, I repeat, I did nothing wrong,” he said.
“I have thought a lot about this and have decided today – today – that I will resign as Member of Parliament for Clacton-on-Sea, thereby forcing a by-election which I hope will take place in the near future.
“I have decided that the people of Clacton should be the judge of my actions. This will be a people versus establishment by-election.”
“This is a chance to point the finger at the entire establishment, to frankly tell them where to go.
“And that is why I will put my name forward to stand in this by-election. I will fight to win. I will fight to continue the political revolution that Reform started.”
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Farage is the subject of a formal investigation over a £5 million ($9.7 million) gift he received from Christopher Harborne, who resides in Thailand, and is valued in the billions of pounds.
He is also facing calls from the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner for a separate investigation into help he received from George Cottrell, an aristocratic investor known as “Posh George” who served time in prison in the United States for wire fraud.
However, calling a by-election cannot undo any investigation into the donations, as the commissioner may decide to continue to consider whether Farage will be returned to the House of Commons or not.
“The inquiry into parliamentary standards continues whether you are in the House or not,” said Labor Party deputy leader Lucy Powell.
Based on previous election results and current opinion polls, Farage is likely to retain his seat.
Farage defeated Clacton in the 2024 general election with 46.2% of the vote, well ahead of his nearest rival under a first-past-the-post system that does not allocate preferences.
He had a clear lead over the Conservative Party candidate, who received 27.9 percent of the vote, and the Labor Party candidate, who received 16.2 percent.
The latest national opinion poll shows Reform has the support of 24 percent of voters, ahead of the Conservative Party on 20 percent. A YouGov poll taken at the end of June showed the Labor Party had 19 per cent support.
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David Crowe is Europe correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X or e-mail.