Nigel Farage has announced he is resigning as MP for Clacton but will immediately contest the resulting by-election, describing it as a battle between "the people" and "the establishment" as he continues to face scrutiny over his finances.
The Reform UK leader made the surprise announcement during a press conference on Tuesday, insisting he had "not broken the law in any way at all" and had "not misused public money" despite ongoing investigations into donations made before and after he entered Parliament.
Farage said he wanted voters in Clacton to decide his political future rather than allowing parliamentary processes to do so.
"I've decided that the people of 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."
He added: "I will fight to win. I will fight to continue the political revolution that Reform has started."
If I lose, they win. If they win, you lose.
If you lose, Britain will forever be broken and nothing will change. We will prevail.
My message to the people of Clacton. 👇 pic.twitter.com/j9LCX2v0Dw
— Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) July 7, 2026
Farage, one of the most prominent figures in British politics and a leading architect of the Brexit campaign, was elected as Clacton MP at the 2024 General Election, winning more than 46% of the vote.
His resignation comes after weeks of questions over financial support he received before becoming an MP, including a reported £5 million (€5.85 million) gift from a Reform UK donor and separate funding for security and staffing from long-time ally George Cottrell, a convicted fraudster.
Under House of Commons rules, MPs must declare gifts worth more than £300 received during the previous 12 months if they could reasonably be considered connected to their political activities.
Farage is currently being investigated by Parliament's Standards Commissioner over the declarations and has also been referred to the regulator over separate reported donations. If he is found to have committed a serious breach and suspended for 10 sitting days or more, it could trigger a recall petition that would also result in a by-election.
During his address, Farage insisted he had done nothing wrong.
"I've really enjoyed the job of being an MP. The people, the constituency – it's an office that I genuinely, genuinely adore," he said.
"It seems to me that the establishment has now decided that they can't beat us fairly, so they've chosen to use foul means."
"Over the last 10 years, I have financially done well, but that itself should not be looked upon as a crime."
He also described the undeclared £5 million payment as "a gift" and "the equivalent of a lottery win."
Farage accused the media of targeting his family during the controversy, saying he had "never been angrier in my life."
"For some reason, last week the editor of the Times newspaper decided to publish a picture of where my daughter lives," he said.
"There is no public interest in my daughter whatsoever."
Farage argued that standards investigations are now being used as "a political tool" and claimed attempts were being made to damage Reform UK, which has led many national opinion polls over the past year and emerged as a significant challenge to the traditional dominance of Labour and the Conservative Party.
His announcement has already prompted a political response, with Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe indicating his party may contest the by-election.
Posting on X, Lowe wrote: "Farage has proven one thing today and one thing only – everything that he does is about one person. Nigel Farage."
He added that Restore Britain would announce its plans for the Clacton by-election later on Tuesday.
