POLL: Has Nigel Farage’s by-election backfired as other parties refuse to stand? | Politics | News

None of the main parties will contest Nigel Farage’s “people versus order” by-election. The Reform UK leader resigned as an MP yesterday, saying voters in Clacton “should be the judges of my actions” in a dramatic announcement amid scrutiny of his financial affairs.

He said: “This will be a people and order by-election. This is a chance to put two fingers up to the whole establishment and tell them clearly where to go and that’s why I will be putting my name forward to be a candidate in this by-election.”

However, the Labor Party, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Green Party and Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain party announced that they would not participate in the vote.

Mr Farage is being investigated by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner over a £5 million gift from cryptocurrency tycoon Christopher Harborne that he said was to pay for security over threats against him.

The reformist leader also confirmed he was facing another investigation over support provided by his long-term ally George Cottrell, who was convicted of fraud.

New MPs must declare gifts worth up to £300 received in the previous 12 months if they relate to their political activities.

The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner’s investigation was suspended following Mr Farage’s resignation but will continue if he returns to Parliament.

If he is found to have breached the rules and is suspended for more than 10 sitting days, this could trigger a recall petition and potentially lead to another by-election in Clacton.

Mr Farage insisted he had done nothing wrong and accused Westminster opponents of using shoddy investigations as a “political tool” and the media of harassing his family.

But while other parties said investigations into his finances should continue as normal, Kemi Badenoch said her party would not participate in “a fake by-election where Farage is causing people to be distracted from what’s going on”.