NIGEL Farage’s decision to resign as an MP and trigger a by-election in his own seat has been branded a “cynical political stunt”.
The Reform UK leader – in a hastily announced press conference on Tuesday – announced he will quit as the MP for Clacton after coming under intense pressure over unregistered donations of cash and support.
In a video statement, Farage said: “I have done nothing wrong. I have not broken the law in any way at all.”
He accused the media of harassment and vowed to fight a “people versus the establishment” by-election.
But it has been branded a "cynical stunt” by rival party leaders and trade union officials, with some suggesting Farage is simply jumping before he was pushed amid multiple parliamentary standards investigations into undeclared funding.
Under the Commons’ rules, new MPs are required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift “could not be reasonably thought by others” to relate to their political activities.
Farage was already facing a parliamentary standards investigation over a £5 million gift from Reform donor Christopher Harborne before becoming an MP.
He then faced another following reports that long-term ally and convicted criminal George Cottrell had provided undeclared funding for security and staffing in the year before he was elected. Green Party leader Zack Polanski said Farage was “a grifter brought down by his own grifting”.
He said: “Nigel Farage is once again trying to con the public with this stunt – trying to duck the fact that his history of taking dodgy donations is finally catching up with him.
“This is not Nigel Farage vs the establishment but the establishment’s man against truth, honesty and decency.
“As much as he now protests he is the victim of a so-called smear campaign against him, the truth is that he is a grifter brought down by his own grifting.
“He has never been a man of the people, but a representative of the wealthy and the establishment.
“We need to take big money out of politics with a cap on political donations, and state funding for political parties so they’re not in the pocket of the wealthy and powerful.”
A spokesperson for Andy Burnham said the by-election was a “gimmick” to distract from the row about the Reform UK leader’s finances.
They said: “This is a gimmick designed to distract from serious allegations about Farage’s funders.
“What really matters in politics is how we can change Westminster to take power for communities and bring it back to people to make life more affordable for them.”
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, meanwhile, called Nigel Farage a "Temu Trump".
He said: “Nigel Farage has spent his whole life dodging responsibility for his actions. This new stunt is his latest attempt to escape consequences for his biggest grift. We won’t let him.
“We have just sat through a self-obsessed diatribe delivered by a Temu Trump who seems to think he is sat in the Oval Office.
“He has done nothing for his constituents and instead focused on lining his own pockets. The people of Clacton deserve better than a rubbish Trump tribute act."
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “Let’s call this Nigel Farage announcement out for what it is: a cynical political stunt to distract from his dodgy dealings with crypto crooks and super rich aristocrats.”
He added: “Whether it’s multimillion-pound bungs, luxurious houses or fully funded apparatchiks, Reform’s undeclared cronyism stinks.
“Farage is jumping before he’s pushed. This is straight out of the Trumpian playbook – attacking the media and anyone daring to ask legitimate questions about his finances.
“Britain and Clacton deserve better than this.”
