Nigel Farage quits as MP in UK, triggers by-election amid over $6 million funding probe

Nigel Farage has announced that he will resign as the Member of Parliament for Clacton and seek a fresh mandate through a by-election, saying voters should decide whether he deserves to remain in office as questions continue to be raised about his political funding.

The Reform UK leader announced on Tuesday (July 7), describing the contest as a “people versus the establishment” by-election. Farage said he wanted the electorate to judge his conduct directly, insisting he had done nothing wrong.

“I’ve decided that the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions,” Farage said. He added: “I will fight to win. I will fight to continue the political revolution that Reform has started.”

The announcement comes as Farage faces an investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over his failure to declare a £5 million (around $6.67 million) gift from British-Thai cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne before he entered Parliament.

According to the BBC, the inquiry was launched in May after opposition parties raised concerns that the donation had not been registered. The investigation is examining whether Farage complied with parliamentary rules governing the declaration of financial interests.

Farage has consistently denied any wrongdoing, arguing that the £5 million was a personal, non-political gift rather than a political donation and therefore did not require registration under parliamentary rules.

The by-election is expected to become a major political test for Reform UK, with Farage seeking renewed backing from voters in Clacton while the standards investigation remains ongoing.