Nigel Farage’s political rivals cannot stand Clacton’s election

In a 20-minute video statement filmed at his party’s headquarters in London, Farage said he had done “nothing wrong” with the money management, lashing out at the media and complaining about the treatment of his family.

He said that the “establishment” is using “evil means” to attack his party.

The by-election will be “an opportunity to stick two fingers together with the whole organization to say clearly where they are going,” he said.

Reformist sources said they wanted the election to be held quickly and that it could be held as early as August under parliamentary law.

Asked if he was running for office as he left his party’s office, Farage said: “Oh, it’s a big gamble.”

Farage has offered to cover the cost of by-elections, which his party would normally pay from central government funds.

In the year In 2016, the government estimated the cost of supplementary elections was £228,964, but this figure has since increased.

In the 2024 general election, Farage won the Clayton constituency with a healthy margin of over 8,000 votes, beating the Conservatives into second place. Labor finished third, followed by the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party.

Farage has been under investigation by Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Daniel Greenberg since May after failing to declare a £5 million gift he received from billionaire reform donor Christopher Harbor before becoming an MP.

Farage described the money as “the equivalent of winning the lottery”.

He said he was “the most physically and verbally assaulted public figure or politician at the moment” and said the “unconditional” donation would help cover his personal security costs.

Over the weekend, the Sunday Times published a story claiming Farage’s long-time ally George Cottrell had offered support ahead of the 2024 general election, including paying Farage’s security staff and working on his social media content.

According to the Parliamentary Handbook, newly elected MPs must report any gifts or benefits received in the 12 months prior to their election, including accommodation, in connection with “parliamentary or political activity”.

There is a “personal only” that is independent of gifts and benefits.

Farage argued that the support he received would be exempt from this.

Following Farage’s resignation, the standards commissioner’s investigation was temporarily halted but could resume if he wins the by-election and returns to parliament.

One possible result of the diagnosis is suspension, which raises the question of recall.

This process allows an MP to be removed and a by-election is held if 10% of registered voters sign a petition.

Separately, Cottrell and his mother are known to have given money to a company and think tank owned by Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform.

As first reported by the Telegraph, Tiss’s company Tissun Investments in 2010 In late 2024, he received an £80,000 loan from Cottrell, and his idea Britain Mins Business received a £1 million grant from Fiona Cottrell in June 2024.

These payments were reported to the National Crime Agency (NCA) as part of its Suspicious Activity Reporting Scheme.

Reform UK believes the information may have come from the NCA.

Tice has written to the NCA chief asking him to investigate whether he is responsible for releasing his personal financial information to the media.

A spokesperson said: “The NCA does not confirm or deny receipt of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) and does not comment on how any SAR is used. SARs are confidential and breaching confidentiality may result in a suggestion offense under the Criminal Code.”

The SAR program notifies law enforcement of potential cases of money laundering and has identified 866,616 reports in 2024/25.