Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has resigned as the Member of Parliament for Clacton-on-Sea and announced that he will contest the seat again in a by-election.
Farage said the decision would allow voters to judge him amid growing controversy over financial donations and an ongoing investigation by Parliament’s standards watchdog. Under parliamentary rules, the investigation will be suspended until the by-election is completed.
Addressing supporters, Farage said, “Let me be absolutely clear, I have done nothing wrong. I have not broken the law in any way at all.”
He also said, “I’ve decided the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions.”
The move follows recent reports questioning the sources of his personal wealth and allegations that he failed to declare certain gifts and payments. Farage denied any wrongdoing and maintained that he had followed parliamentary rules.
He also defended his earnings outside Parliament, saying, “Making money is not a crime,” while describing a previous financial gift as “the equivalent of a lottery win.”
The by-election is expected to become a key political test for the Reform UK leader.
