POLL: Has Nigel Farage’s by-election backfired as other parties refuse to stand?

Nigel Farage‘s “people versus the establishment” by-election will not be contested by any of the main parties. The Reform UK leader quit as an MP yesterday in a dramatic statement amid scrutiny of his financial affairs, saying that the voters in Clacton “should be the judges of my actions”.

He said: “This will be a people versus the establishment by-election. It’s a chance to stick two fingers up to the entire Establishment to frankly tell them where to go, and that is why I will be putting my name forward to stand in this by-election.”

But Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain have all said they will not stand in the ballot.

Mr Farage is being investigated by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner over a £5 million gift from cryptocurrency tycoon Christopher Harborne, which he says was to pay for security due to threats against him.

The Reformer leader also appeared to confirm he was facing another probe over support provided by long-term ally George Cottrell, who is a convicted fraudster.

New MPs are required to declare any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months if it relates to their political activities.

The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner’s investigation 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.

Mr Farage has insisted he has done nothing wrong and has accused Westminster opponents of using sleaze investigations as a “political tool” and the media of harassing his family.

But other parties have said the investigations into his finances must run their course, with Kemi Badenoch saying her party would not take part in a “fake by-election that Farage is causing to distract people from what is happening”.