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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Athena Stavrou and David Maddox

Nigel Farage reveals ‘final straw’ that pushed him to resign as Clacton MP

  • Nigel Farage has declared he will resign as an MP and force a by-election, pledging to stand in a contest he frames as "the people versus the Establishment" amid a furious row with Sky News.
  • The Reform UK leader accused Sky News of "hounding" his daughter at home, stating that "the issue with my daughter was the final straw," leading him to reject lucrative opportunities abroad in favour of confronting what he termed "Sky News and their ilk."
  • The broadcaster confirmed it made "reasonable efforts" to contact Mr Farage regarding reports that long-term ally George Cottrell provided undeclared funding for security and staffing in the year before his election as MP for Clacton.
  • In a statement, Sky News asserted: "Nigel Farage has legitimate questions to answer about the gift he accepted from Mr Cottrell." The channel added it sought a response due to "clear public interest" and acknowledged a broadcast pool operation outside a property linked to Mr Farage, where an occupant chose not to engage.
  • Sky News explicitly denied contacting anyone from Mr Farage’s family about the story. However, the Reform UK leader vehemently dismissed this as "an outright lie" and declared "I will not tolerate intimidation of my family." He added: "Am I angry? I've never been angrier in my life."

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