Nigel Farage has announced his resignation from his parliamentary seat while expressing his intention to run again in the upcoming by-election. This was revealed by the leader of Reform UK, the party currently leading opinion polls in the United Kingdom, at a press conference in London.

The former face of Brexit, Farage has recently made headlines due to controversial donations and allowances. ”

I have never been this angry in my life,” he stated, accusing the media of waging a campaign against him and his family. Farage claimed that the safety of himself and his relatives has been compromised.

„It is now up to the residents of Clacton to judge my actions,” he added, stating, „I will fight to win.” British MPs are required to disclose their secondary incomes and donations, even for a period of up to one year prior to their election.

The Sunday Times reported that Nigel Farage failed to properly declare support received from his associate, George Cottrell. According to the paper, Cottrell, who was convicted of fraud, financed or organized security services and staff for Farage in the year leading up to his election to the House of Commons. Farage denies the allegations and insists that he has complied with all regulations, as reported by Exxpress.

 

„Ich war noch nie wütender“ – Nigel Farage kritisiert Medien und legt Mandat nieder https://t.co/V8R2SMkckK pic.twitter.com/td0IOzvI6I

— WELT (@welt) July 7, 2026

As the Guardian recently uncovered, the 62-year-old politician received a payment of £5 million shortly before being elected as an MP, which he did not declare as a donation. He claims it was an unconditional, purely personal gift. The matter is currently under investigation by the commissioner responsible for parliamentary standards. In the worst-case scenario, Farage faced the threat of temporary suspension from the House of Commons and an uncertain re-election, which he has now pre-empted. Farage’s Comeback Farage may have a strong chance of returning to politics. His party, Reform UK, has led opinion polls for over a year, ahead of the governing Labour Party and the opposition Conservative Party.

The party’s success is largely attributed to Farage himself. In the local and regional elections held in England, Scotland, and Wales in May, the party won hundreds of seats across much of the country, plunging the Labour Party and current Prime Minister Keir Starmer into crisis. Given the advantage over other parties, it seems entirely plausible that Farage could move into the government’s headquarters at 10 Downing Street following the next general election.

Known as „Mr. Brexit,” this is not Farage’s first tactical resignation. Shortly after what he deemed a successful Brexit referendum in 2016, he stepped down as leader of UKIP, only to later return to the spotlight as head of the newly formed Brexit Party, which was subsequently renamed Reform UK. Farage also resigned from the leadership of this party in the spring of 2021, following the actual exit from the EU. However, just ahead of the parliamentary elections in July 2024, he has returned to lead the party once again.