Major parties refuse to join Farage’s by-election fight as scrutiny over his finances grows
Nigel Farage’s attempt to turn scrutiny over his finances into a public verdict has taken an unexpected turn, after his main political rivals ruled out standing in the Clacton by-election row.
Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Restore Britain have all said they will not contest the Essex seat after Farage announced he would resign and fight it again.
The Reform UK leader framed the contest as “people versus the establishment”, saying voters in Clacton should judge his actions. But opponents dismissed the move as a political stunt designed to shift attention away from investigations into his financial affairs.
Labour called the Clacton by-election row a “circus” and accused Farage of desperately trying to change the subject. A party spokesperson said Labour would not indulge the contest and argued Farage should allow the parliamentary investigation into his finances to continue.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch also ruled out taking part. She described the contest as a fake election and said Farage was using it to distract people from the questions surrounding him.
The Liberal Democrats went further, urging the government to block Farage’s resignation until the standards investigation had concluded. The party said voters needed the full facts before casting their ballots.
Restore Britain, the party set up by Rupert Lowe after he was suspended from Reform, also said it would not stand. However, it said it would contest a second by-election if one was later triggered by the standards process.
The Green Party of England and Wales initially said the decision would rest with local members. Green MP Hannah Spencer later told BBC Newsnight that the local party had decided not to field a candidate.
That leaves the Clacton by-election row looking very different from the showdown Farage had promised. One confirmed candidate is comedian Jon Harvey, who regularly stands in by-elections under the name Count Binface.
Farage announced his resignation in a 20-minute video recorded at Reform UK headquarters in London. He insisted he had “done nothing wrong” and accused the establishment of using “foul means” to target his party. He also complained about media treatment of his family.
He described the vote as a chance to “stick two fingers up” to the establishment and said Reform had offered to cover the cost of the by-election. By-elections are normally funded from central government money. A 2016 government estimate put the cost at £228,964, although that figure is likely to have risen.
Farage won Clacton in the 2024 general election with a majority of more than 8,000, beating the Conservatives into second place. Labour came third, followed by the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party.
The Clacton by-election row follows a parliamentary investigation opened in May by standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg. It concerns Farage’s failure to declare a £5m gift from billionaire Reform donor Christopher Harborne before he became an MP.
Farage has described the money as “the equivalent of a lottery win” and said it would help pay for personal security. He has argued that the gift did not need to be declared.
Fresh scrutiny followed a Sunday Times report claiming George Cottrell, a long-standing Farage ally, provided support before the 2024 general election, including staff for security and social media work. Farage has argued that the support falls under the parliamentary exemption for purely personal benefits.
The standards investigation has been paused because of Farage’s resignation. It could resume if he wins the Clacton by-election and returns to Parliament.