Nigel Farage has announced he is quitting as an MP to trigger a by-election in his Essex constituency amid the intense scrutiny over his donations.
The Reform UK leaders said he will stand in the vote, adding: "I've decided that the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions.
"And that is why I will be putting my name forward to stand in this by-election. I will fight to win.”
In his lengthy televised statement he has said: “I have done nothing wrong, I have not broken the law in any way.”
The Reform UK leader had earlier claimed he was the victim of an “establishment hit job” following allegations published by The Sunday Times that convicted criminal George Cottrell had provided funding for security and staffing in the year before he was elected.
Mr Farage is facing another Parliamentary probe over the financing, which could lead to his suspension from the House of Commons.
Parliament’s standards commissioner is already investigating a £5 million gift Mr Farage received from a crypto-billionaire.
Daniel Greenberg is probing whether the MP should have registered the huge undisclosed gift from Thailand-based Christopher Harborne.
Scroll down for the latest updates.
Labour rules out standing candidate in Clacton
18:57 , Rachael Burford
Labour has also ruled out standing a a candidate against Farage in the Clacton by-election.
A party spokesperson says: “Nigel 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.
"Labour's ruling body, the National Executive Committee, has decided not to stand a candidate in this circus.
"Instead, Labour will remain focused on delivering for working people and holding Reform to account.
"Farage should let the parliamentary investigation into his finances run its course and face the consequences."
Tories will not stand candidate in Clacton
18:02 , Rachael Burford
The Conservatives will not stand a candidate in the “fake” by-election triggered by Nigel Farage today, Kemi Badenoch says.
The Tory leader adds: “We will be standing a candidate in the real by-election, which will follow the standards investigation into Nigel Farage’s fishy finances.
“We will not be standing a candidate in the fake by-election that Farage is causing to distract people from what is happening.
“We need to let that investigation run its course, and I think the reason why Nigel Farage has resigned is because he’s terrified that he’s going to be found to have done something wrong.
“The best thing for him to have done would have been to call a press conference and explain what he did with the money, apologise if needs be, and that would have been the end of it.
“Instead, he has been running away from scrutiny. No one is bigger than Parliament. We all have to register our interests.
“We, the Conservative Party, are very focused on uniting the country around sensible policies.
“We’re going to focus on getting Britain working again and showing some common sense, not throwing random by-elections out because we’re having a hissy fit.”
Kemi Badenoch refuses to confirm whether Tories will stand candidate
16:47 , Rachael Burford
Kemi Badenoch refuses to confirm whether the Tories will stand a candidate in the Clacton by-election and says her party is “exploring every avenue” over how the party will approach the vote.
She says she wants to avoid wasting taxpayers’ money in the event of a second by-election in the constituency after an investigation into Nigel Farage’s concludes.
The Conservative Party leader told Politico Live: “What I’m focused on right now, and I’ve set my team on it, is how to make sure that we avoid wasting taxpayers’ money with two by-elections, and we’re exploring every avenue, so until that’s decided I’m not saying anything about what’s happening in Clacton.
“There should not be a by-election when the standards committee has not ruled.”
Restore will not stand in Clacton
16:25 , Rachael Burford
Rupert Lowe says Restore Britain will not stand in the by-election triggered by Farage’s resignation.
The party leader and former Reform MP clarifies: “Restore Britain will stand in the Clacton by-election – the second one – held later this year, when the investigations into Farage’s finances conclude as we all suspect they will.
“We are not going to participate in a Reform-sponsored media circus over the summer months that is designed to puff up Farage’s ego and deflect away from wholly fair questions over why he has concealed such vast and irregular financial donations.”
Chancellor suggests Labour will stand against Farage
16:16 , Rachael Burford
Rachel Reeves says Nigel Farage is trying to “distract from the huge troubles he is currently in”.
She suggests Labour will stand a candidate in the Clacton by-election.
The Chancellor says: “He’s obviously trying to distract from the huge troubles that he is currently in around not declaring a whole range of donations and associations.
“He’s trying to distract from that, and we mustn’t let him.”
Asked whether Labour would put up a candidate in Clacton, she said: “Let’s see what happens in terms of a by-election, but Labour would tend to stand candidates in by-elections.”
Kemi Badenoch: Farage throwing 'hissy fit'
15:56 , Rachael Burford
Kemi Badenoch says Nigel Farage is having a “hissy fit” and “cracking under the pressure” after he announced he would stand down as an MP and trigger a by-election in Clacton that he would run in.
“There shouldn’t be a by-election on his terms,” the Conservative leader told the Politico Live event.
“What there should be is a by-election if the investigation finds him guilty. Those are the rules.”
She said the Clacton MP should “man up and answer some questions” instead of triggering an “ego by-election”.
Clacton by-election likely to cost taxpayers £450k
15:32 , Rachael Burford
Farage's decision to call a by-election in Clacton is likely to cost taxpayers at least £450,000.
Councils run Westminster polls and are then reimbursed by the Government.
In 2024, Jeremy Hunt’s Budget revealed the cost of each parliamentary by-election.
The Government figures suggested that between 2021 and 2023 the average cost to the taxpayer was £450,000 per poll.
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: “It would be a crime to waste taxpayers’ hard-earned cash on this Farage vanity project. He should pay for it himself out of the millions he’s grifted.”
Farage says Reform will be covering the cost of the poll, but whether a political party is allowed to pay for an election they are standing in is unclear.
Farage says: "I have spoken to the CEO of Tendring District Council. Reform has offered to cover the cost of the by-election.
"I will be writing to Rachel Reeves later today with the same message.
"Given that we asked for this by-election in the first place, it’s only right that we pay for it."
Farage trying to 'con public with stunt'
15:02 , Rachael Burford
Farage is attempting to “con” the public with a political stunt by calling a by-election, the leader of the Green Party says.
Zack Polanski says: "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.”
Farage branded 'self obsessed Temu Trump'
14:53 , Rachael Burford
Responding to Nigel Farage’s statement, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey says: “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.
“It would be a crime to waste taxpayers’ hard-earned cash on this Farage vanity project. He should pay for it himself out of the millions he’s grifted.”
Sky News issues statement after Farage criticism
14:46 , Rachael Burford
Sky News says it had made “reasonable efforts” to contact Nigel Farage with “legitimate questions to answer” after reports convicted criminal George Cottrell had provided undeclared funding for security and staffing in the year before he was elected as MP for Clacton.
The broadcaster says in a statement: “Nigel Farage has legitimate questions to answer about the gift he accepted from Mr Cottrell.
“Given the clear public interest in this matter, Sky News has been seeking a response from Mr Farage and has made reasonable efforts to contact him.
“We acknowledge that Sky News was part of a broadcast pool operation outside a property linked to Mr Farage yesterday.
“We approached the property off-camera on a single occasion, identified ourselves, and the occupant chose not to engage.”
14:33 , Rachael Burford
Farage has called a by-election in his Essex seat in a bid to silence his critics in politics and the media, he says.
The Reform UK leader says he had “never been angrier in my life” as he claimed the media has been “haranguing” his family.
“For some reason, last week the editor of the Times newspaper decided to publish a picture of where my daughter lives,” he says.
“There is no public interest in my daughter whatsoever. She is not involved in current affairs, doesn’t seek to be involved in current affairs, and has never been used by me once at any point in my political career.
“No photographs on election addresses or anything like that, I’ve always done my absolute best to protect the privacy and safety of my family.
“By publishing that photograph, the editor of The Times has directly threatened her security… She now has broadcasters haranguing her.
“Sky News were one of them, and when I questioned them on it, they willfully and deliberately lied and said on their channel that they hadn’t contacted the family.
“Well, let me be clear. I will not tolerate intimidation of my family. I will not tolerate the location of where they live being revealed.
“I will not tolerate any of my family being endangered because of what I choose to do in public life, so yes, you can ask, am I angry? Well, I’ve never been angrier in my life.”
Sky has said it did not contact anyone from Mr Farage’s family about the story.
Nigel Farage resigns as MP and calls by-election
14:29 , Rachael Burford
Nigel Farage says he will resign as an MP and call a by-election in his Clacton constituency.
He will stand in the poll in a bid to silence his critics and show he has a mandate with voters.
“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 by-election, which will happen, I hope, in short order.
“I've decided that the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions.
“This will be a people versus the establishment by election. It's a chance to stick two figures up to the entire establishment.”
Parliament investigations being 'used as political tool', claims Farage
14:23 , Rachael Burford
Standards investigations by the parliamentary authorities are “now being used as a political tool”, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage claims.
He suggests “the establishment” had chosen to use “foul means” to beat Reform UK.
“It seems to me that the establishment have now decided that they can’t beat us fairly, so they’ve chosen to use foul means,” he says.
'I have done nothing wrong'
14:16 , Rachael Burford
Farage has begun his statement.
The Reform UK leader insists he has “done nothing wrong”.
“Let me be absolutely clear,” he says.
“I have done nothing wrong. I have not broken the law in any way at all. I have not misused public money, and you know, for the first two years of being an MP, my personal MP expenses are zero, not of course, because you'll read about that in mainstream media, and yes, of course, Parliament has its rules about how members ought to behave.
“And I believe I've absolutely obeyed those rules and done so under getting good legal advice was.”
Why Reform UK leader might quit
14:10 , Rachael Burford
Nigel Farage has triggered a frenzy of speculation that he could quit as Reform UK leader.
The move stunned Westminster as Reform is still leading in the polls and Farage has only recently been talking up the prospects of him being Prime Minister after his party’s success in the May local elections.
But he has faced a growing barrage of questions over financial support he has received.
He has denied any wrongdoing.
Other factors which could push him into stepping aside are rumours of ill-health or that he will call and stand in a by-election in his Clacton constituency in a bid to silence his critics and show he has a strong mandate among voters.
80% chance of Farage stepping down as Reform leader, according to bookmakers
13:44 , Rachael Burford
Nigel Farage is as short as 1/4 to be replaced as Reform leader in 2026, according to Betfair.
The odds have tumbled from 11/1 at the start of the month.
Zia Yusuf, the party's Home Affairs spokesman, is favourite to replace him
Betfair Predicts: Next Reform leader
Zia Yusuf 32%
Robert Jenrick 26%
Richard Tice 17%
Matt Goodwin 8%
Sienna Churcher 7%
Suella Braverman 6%
Sarah Pochin 5%
Lee Anderson 4%
Boris Johnson 3%
The £5million question
13:31 , Rachael Burford
Parliament’s standards commissioner is already investigating a £5 million gift Farage received from a crypto-billionaire.
Daniel Greenberg is probing whether Mr Farage should have registered the huge undisclosed gift from Thailand-based Christopher Harborne.
Is Farage resigning? Isn’t that the £5 million question…
— Al Carns (@AlistairCarns) July 7, 2026
Who is George Cottrell? The aristocrat at the centre of Farage scandal
13:20 , Rachael Burford
George Cottrell is the mysterious figure at the centre of the scandal surrounding Nigel Farage.
The 32-year-old aristocrat reportedly recruited and paid three staff to work on the Reform leader's social media before the general election, and has continued to allow him to use a five-storey Georgian property near Buckingham Palace.
Under rules in place at the time of Mr Farage’s election in 2024, new MPs were 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.
The Sunday Times reported that Cottrell is the son of the Honourable Fiona Cottrell, an aristocrat said to have "briefly dated" then-Prince Charles.
His grandfather, the third Baron Manton, inherited a "family soap empire".
He is said to have been kicked out of the exclusive Malvern College, leaving without A-levels, due to a "gambling addiction".
Cottrell went on to become a "fixer-cum-financier to the ultra-rich in Mayfair", according to the newspaper and his wealth now "derives from crypto".
It is not clear when he first met Mr Farage. But he volunteered for Mr Farage in a 2015 Essex by-election and was later made Ukip's head of fundraising at the age of 22.
In 2017, he was jailed for eight months in the US after admitting wire fraud. He had attempted to defraud criminals on the dark web by masquerading as a money launderer.
He was arrested as he and Mr Farage travelled back to Britain following a trip to the US.
Ed Davey: Farage has caused more than enough damage already
12:55 , Rachael Burford
Responding to the announcement that Mr Farage will make a statement about his future in public life later today, leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, said: “I hope it’s that you haven’t got one.
“You’ve caused more than enough damage already.”
Farage has express fury over intrusion into his personal life
12:47 , Matt Watts
In the last few days he has expressed fury over alleged media intrusion into his personal life, accusing journalists of hounding his family.
Under rules in place at the time of Mr Farage’s election in 2024, new MPs were 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.
Cottrell reportedly recruited and paid three staff to work on the MP’s social media before the general election, and has continued to allow him to use a five-storey Georgian property he rented near Buckingham Palace.
This is an outright lie from @SkyNews.
— Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) July 6, 2026
They hounded my daughter at home, just days after The Times published where my family live.
Despicable behaviour from the media. pic.twitter.com/cNfZ6Rmzb4
The convicted felon was jailed for eight months in the US in 2017 after admitting wire fraud. He had attempted to defraud criminals on the dark web by masquerading as a money launderer.
He was arrested as he and Mr Farage travelled back to Britain following a trip to the US. Cottrell reportedly remains a close adviser to Mr Farage after first becoming involved in Ukip as a volunteer in the run-up to the 2016 Brexit referendum.
Labour and the Liberal Democrats have called for Parliament’s standards commissioner, who is already investigating a £5 million gift the MP received from a crypto-billionaire, to examine the support.
Nigel Farage to make statement on his 'future in public life'
12:46 , Matt Watts
Welcome to our live coverage of Nigel Farage’s promised statement on his “future in public life”.
The Reform leader is to make a statement at 2pm following intense scrutiny over financial help he received from a convicted criminal.
The Clacton MP claimed he was the victim of an “establishment hit job” after allegations published by The Sunday Times that George Cottrell had provided funding for security and staffing in the year before he was elected.
In a post on X, the Reform UK leader said he will make a “statement on my future in public life” at 2pm on Tuesday.
Mr Farage is facing another Parliamentary probe over the donations, which could lead to his suspension from the House of Commons and, in the most extreme circumstances, a by-election in his Essex constituency.
The statement has sparked rumours he could be planning he could quit public life by stepping down as leader of Reform.
