‘Farage by-election disrespects the people of Clacton’, minister claims
A by-election triggered by Nigel Farage is a stunt that “shouldn’t be happening” and disrespects the people of Clacton, a senior minister has said, as the prospect of the contest appeared to fall flat.
The Reform UK leader has announced he plans to trigger an election in his Clacton seat, in what he dubbed a “people versus the establishment” fight, as he faces close scrutiny over gifts and support he has received.
But Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain have all said they will not stand candidates in the poll.
Satirical candidate Count Binface appears to be Mr Farage’s main electoral rival so far.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper was asked by BBC Breakfast why Labour is not standing a candidate.
She told the broadcaster: “Well, look, the by-election shouldn’t be happening, it’s Nigel Farage who has chosen, I think, frankly, to disrespect the people of Clacton by just doing this.
“This is a stunt that is all about his own interest. It’s not about the people of Clacton. It’s not about the country. He was elected in a general election.
“He is only doing this because he wants to somehow distract from what is simply the proper application of the rules and I don’t think that is fair on the people of Clacton.
“But that is the responsibility of Nigel Farage and not anybody else.”
Ms Cooper said she was focused on the “increasingly dangerous world” while attending the Nato summit in Turkey, and added: “All of those things are really important for our national security, and yet we’ve got one man who wants to just have a discussion about him and about effectively his political tantrum.”
Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis, also at the summit, said Mr Farage “understands the strength of feeling” among the public about a parliamentary investigation he is facing into a £5 million gift from Reform backing billionaire Christopher Harborne.
“I think he senses that he is in real trouble and has taken action to try and get in front of that,” Mr Jarvis added.
Mr Farage is being investigated by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner over whether he should have registered the gift from cryptocurrency tycoon Mr Harborne, which he said was needed to fund the security he required as a result of multiple threats against him.
The Reform leader has also appeared to confirm he was facing another probe over support provided by convicted fraudster George Cottrell after a Sunday Times investigation.
Long-term ally Mr Cottrell reportedly recruited and paid three staff to work on Mr Farage’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.
New MPs are 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 Reform UK leader maintains he has done nothing wrong, and claimed the people of Clacton “should be the judges of my actions” after accusing the media and his political opponents of being part of an establishment effort to attack him.
The investigation into the £5 million gift by Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Daniel Greenberg is suspended after Mr Farage’s resignation, but will resume if he returns to Parliament.
If he is found to have breached the rules and is suspended for more than 10 sitting days, it could trigger a recall petition – potentially leading to another Clacton by-election.
The Reform UK chief said he had offered for his party to pay the cost of the vote after criticism that it was a waste of taxpayer money.
But a Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said election law prevented individuals or parties from directly paying for the cost of an election.
A report in the Guardian that bankers filed a suspicious activity report (SAR) with the National Crime Agency in May 2024 over concerns the gift from Mr Harborne could be laundered money has raised further questions.
Reform UK did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Mr Farage told the newspaper he did not know about the SAR and said he had no reason to doubt the ultimate source of the money.
Deputy Reform UK leader Richard Tice, meanwhile, accused the NCA of leaking his and Mr Farage’s information, telling The Telegraph he had written to the agency demanding an inquiry.
Published: by Radio NewsHub