Chancellor Rachel Reeves has accepted Nigel Farage’s request to allow the formal mechanism for him to resign as an MP – but she slated the “farce” he was creating.
“If he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won’t stop him,” she said.
Satirical candidate Count Binface appears to be Mr Farage’s main electoral rival in the Clacton by-election as Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Restore Britain are refusing to stand candidates.
The by-election “shouldn’t be happening”, foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said, describing it as Mr Farage’s “political tantrum”.
The Reform UK leader resigned on Tuesday, saying he would fight the by-election to give voters a chance to “stick two fingers up to the establishment”.
A spokesperson for would-be PM Andy Burnham called the election “a gimmick designed to distract from serious allegations about Farage’s funders”.
It has been reported that convicted criminal George Cottrell provided Mr Farage with funding for security and staffing before he was elected.
Mr Farage was already being investigated by the standards commissioner over a £5m gift he received from crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne.
Subscribe here to get the latest updates from The Independent
Read MorePolling guru warns Farage ‘can’t pull out’ after major parties boycott Clacton by-election
Farage’s resign and restand by-election plan branded ‘desperate political stunt’
The people of Clacton deserve better than this Nigel Farage circus
Farage by-election bid risks backfiring as main parties will not contest vote
Key Points
- Reeves lets Farage quit as MP – but slates 'farce'
- Lib Dems mock Farage for by-election 'stunt' and call for Reeves to delay poll
- Analysis: Farage could be consigned to the dustbin of history
- Who is Count Binface?
- No 10 refuses to say whether it will block Clacton by-election
- Clacton by-election is not embarrassing for Reform, insists Zia Yusuf
Rivals scared of losing to Farage, says Clacton voter
14:37 , Jane DaltonSome voters in Clacton-on-Sea believe other political parties are not standing candidates against Nigel Farage because they are frightened they would lose.
Jim Jackson, 76, said: “They’re scared to face him as if they come here and lose it’ll show them up.
“I think they’re bullying him myself, and they’re trying every tactic as his ratings are going up with Reform and theirs are going down.”
“He’s bringing money into the place, that’s important,” said Mr Jackson.
“You might see him in America and obviously in Parliament but he’s still here in Clacton talking to the people.”
He said Mr Farage was “our hero” and that he will vote for him.
‘Farage throwing a hissy fit and taxpayers will foot the bill’
14:12 , Harriette Boucher, in ClactonClacton resident Gary Grant, 60, was outraged by Nigel Farage’s resignation, branding it a “hissy fit” that could cost taxpayers £250,000.
The parcel-distribution worker, who voted Liberal Democrat in 2024, told The Independent: “He's just throwing his toys out of the pram, that's all he's doing. He just doesn’t want to face the music, does he? That's all it is. He's done wrong.”
Mr Grant was once a supporter of Farage, but now says Reform is just a party of ex-Tory MPs.
“I was a big fan of Farage when he first started. When he started going on about migration, I thought, yeah, let's get something done about it. He's the man who's gonna do it.
“Farage is just going to be a new form of Conservatives. He's not going to do anything for the poor; he's just going to line the rich's pockets. That's all he's going to do.”
As for the people of Clacton, “he's done absolutely nothing”, Mr Grant believes.
“When Farage first came on the scene, and he started telling people what they wanted to hear, that's what I wanted to hear. I thought, yes, he's the man we want, this is what we need, but since 2024, he's done absolutely nothing. I've seen him in passing, but I’ve got no time for the bloke, not now.”
Reeves lets Farage quit as MP
13:56 , Jane DaltonChancellor Rachel Reeves says she will accept Nigel Farage’s request to “be appointed steward and bailiff of the Manor of Northstead”, the formal mechanism for him to resign.
“It is a farce and a desperate distraction, and the people of Clacton deserve better,” she said.
“But if he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won’t stop him.”
I will accept Nigel Farage’s request to be appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead.
— Rachel Reeves (@RachelReevesMP) July 8, 2026
It is a farce and a desperate distraction, and the people of Clacton deserve better.
But if he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won't stop him.
Analysis: Farage speech dubbed 'pure Trump playbook'
13:48 , Jane DaltonIn The Room podcast hosts Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson say Farage’s speech bore telltale signs of “Trumpism”.
Cleo said: “He has pulled together little factoids that build his case and narrative.”
Helen said: “The Trumpian bit is the whole, ‘we've come top in the last 350 polls, we have more members than any other party, we're winning so hard, and yet because the establishment is working against us and trying to take me down, we're not winning enough.’ And Reform are riding high in opinion polls. They've got more donors than any other political party. He’s managed to present quite a convincing argument about that.
“The point he made about Labour trying to cancel elections in May is unfortunately true. That they only happened because of the Reform court case, also true. So he has these really rock solid big truths that he's able to lace together.”
Listen to the full episode:
Watch: Clacton resident says Farage is like her 'uncle' as she backs Reform leader
13:30 , Dan HaygarthCount Binface 'people's candidate' in Clacton, Badenoch suggests
13:23 , Dan HaygarthAsked whether Conservatives should vote for Count Binface in the forthcoming by-election, Kemi Badenoch told Sky News: “The people of Clacton, and the Conservatives in particular, are very sensible – they will do what they know to be right. It’s not for me to be getting involved in that.
“Let’s see what kind of campaign Count Binface runs, and who the establishment really is – if it’s the people versus the establishment, I think Nigel Farage might be looking like the establishment, and Count Binface may be the people. So the whole thing is a farce.”
Nigel Farage cannot pay for Clacton by-election directly, Downing Street points out
13:14 , Millie CookeNigel Farage’s offer to pay for the Clacton by-election using party funds has been shot down by Downing Street.
The prime minister’s spokesperson pointed out: "The law is clear that the cost of running an election must be met through public funds not by candidates or political parties.
"Individuals or groups can make donations to the consolidated fund in the normal way but these are not ring fenced for specific events.”
No 10 refuses to say whether it will block Clacton by-election
13:05 , Millie CookeDowning Street has refused to say whether it would block the Clacton by-election in order to allow an investigation into Nigel Farage's finances run its course.
Asked whether the chancellor could delay it, the prime minister's spokesperson declined to comment.
It is understood that the last time a resignation was refused in the House was 1842 when Patrick Chambers' resignation was refused on the grounds that he was seeking to escape a bribery case investigation.
Lib Dem mocks Farage over ‘two-horse by-election race’ with Count Binface
13:01 , Dan HaygarthWatch: James Cleverly says Andy Burnham should condemn Lammy’s jury trials reform
12:55 , Dan HaygarthWhy Nigel Farage’s future lies in Rachel Reeves’ hands
12:51 , Kate DevlinWhen Nigel Farage announced he was resigning as an MP, only to restand again in the same constituency, he claimed it was a move to take back control and stick two fingers up the establishment by proving voters were on his side.
But what he may not have considered is that the power to allow him to quit and trigger a by-election actually lies in the hands of Labour chancellor, Rachel Reeves.
Read more:
Why Nigel Farage’s future lies in Rachel Reeves’ hands
Last woman to be hanged in Britain given a pardon
12:43 , Kate DevlinRuth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain, has been given a pardon, David Lammy has announced.
The nightclub hostess went to the gallows in July 1955, three months after shooting dead David Blakely at The Magdala Pub in Hampstead, north London.
Her family have been calling for a pardon, saying evidence she was badly treated by her lover was never heard at her trial.
The King has accepted the government’s advice to grant Ms Ellis a conditional pardon, Mr Lammy told MPs.
Watch: David Lammy pays tribute to best friend killed in 7/7 bombings
12:35 , Dan HaygarthLammy pressed on early release scheme
12:35 , Dan HaygarthDavid Lammy did not guarantee that rapists and paedophile would be exempt from the Government’s early release scheme.
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir James Cleverly said Mr Lammy is a “good man”, adding: “He must know that it is wrong to release 5,000 serious criminals, including rapists, including paedophiles.”
The shadow housing secretary added: “If he will not change course, will he at least make this guarantee that not one rapist or paedophile will be released early later on this year?”
Mr Lammy, who is also the justice secretary, replied: “He has not proposed what they would do if they were in office.”
He added: “We’ve invested £700 million in probation. We are rolling out the largest programme of tagging in our history. We are forcing offenders to stay boxed in certain areas rather than where victims are…
“We are implementing income reduction orders and we are expanding chemical castration for sex offenders. None of it happened when they were in power.”
Burnham appears to support Binface
12:33 , Dan HaygarthAlways worth knowing when bin day is. pic.twitter.com/tIuKFfb3Fk
— Andy Burnham (@andyburnham) July 8, 2026
Lib Dems mock Farage for by-election 'stunt' and call for Reeves to delay poll
12:31 , Millie CookeThe Liberal Democrats have mocked Nigel Farage for his by-election "stunt", urging Rachel Reeves to delay the poll until after an investigation into his conduct has been concluded.
The party's deputy leader Daisy Cooper told the Commons: "The honourable member for Clacton used to say 'leave means leave'.
"But it seems his latest stunt is to leave this place, just so that he can return as a fully fledged member after not just one referendum on his behaviour but possibly two.
"So will the deputy prime minister join us in urging the chancellor to delay the honourable member for Clacton's resignation until the investigation is complete, so the good people of Clacton have all the facts before they cast their votes?
"And failing that, will he support our Clacton clause, so that even once the honourable member ceases to be an MP, the investigations can continue."
Deputy prime minister David Lammy responded: "Everyone can see that the Reform leader is just trying to distract from the fact that he's up to his neck in sleaze.
"He has got serious questions to answer and he cant run away from them. Labour isn't going to be part of this circus."
Cleverly demands PM-in-waiting Burnham ditch controversial jury trial plans
12:25 , Kate DevlinLabour is pressing ahead with plans to cut the number of trials heard by a jury instead of a judge.
But the move has proved very controversial, with the campaign against it led by a currently suspended Labour MP Karl Turner.
At PMQs, James Cleverly, standing in for his party leader Kemi Badenoch, warned Andy Burnham: “If the soon-to-be prime minister does not want to be complicit in this failure, he should come out and condemn this plan, not just hint that he opposes it.
“Because if Labour cannot protect the citizens of this country, either domestically or internationally, then what on earth is the point of them?”
Cleverly asks if Andy Burnham is in the Commons
12:21 , Dan HaygarthAmid a debate regarding jury trials with David Lammy, James Cleverly asks if Andy Burnham, the likely next prime minister, is in the Commons for PMQs.
It appears that the new MP for Makerfield is elsewhere.
Lammy asked to apologise to ‘the victims of the rapists, sexual predators, and paedophiles he is planning to release early’
12:15 , Kate Devlin
Standing in for Starmer at PMQs, David Lammy, the justice secretary, has been challenged over Labour’s early release scheme.
He said that “every decision we have taken” has been based on public safety and he hit out at the Conservatives who he said had left the new Labour government with “just 83 empty cells” when it came to power.
David Lammy pays tribute to best friend killed in 7/7 bombings
12:09 , Millie CookeDavid Lammy has opened PMQs by paying tribute to those killed in the 7/7 bombings, including his childhood best friend.
The deputy prime minister said: "This week we mark the awful anniversary of 7/7, a day when people travelling through London on a bright summer morning had their lives ended and changed forever, including my best friend James Adams.
"We remember all those affected by those terrible attacks and we will always stand against terrorism."
Lammy pays tribute to former MP and 7/7 victims
12:08 , Dan HaygarthThe deputy prime minister begins by paying tribute to the victims of 7/7 in the week of the anniversary.
He also pays tribute to George Howarth, former MP for Knowsley, who has died.
PMQs begins
12:04 , Dan HaygarthIn the absence of Sir Keir Starmer, who is in Turkey for a Nato summit, David Lammy is in the House of Commons and will take questions from MPs.
James Cleverly is standing in for Kemi Badenoch.
Suella Braverman takes aim at councils failing children with ‘fashionable fads’
11:56 , Dan HaygarthReform UK’s Suella Braverman was heckled as she hit out at councils for failing white working-class children.
In a speech to the Local Government Association, she accused some administrations of being “more keen to support the children of Gaza than the children of Grimsby” and making youngsters “ashamed of our great country”.
Some members of the cross-party audience in Bournemouth interrupted her and others walked out as she criticised them.
Mrs Braverman, Reform’s education spokeswoman, said a “system failure and neglect of white working-class families” over decades had resulted in a situation where just 40% of children from that background get a Grade 4 – the standard definition of a pass – at GCSE maths and English.
She said they had been “betrayed by Westminster” and “not all councils, but some and too many, have failed some of their communities”.
“If local government had been more focused on supporting schools that focused on standards and rigour rather than promoting progressive causes then maybe some of these communities would be in a better position. Maybe this scandal would not have happened,” she said.
“For too long too many councils have supported damaging transgender ideology in their policies, want to support the exclusion of British culture and patriotism, are focused more on fashionable fads than actually dealing with special education needs.
“More keen to support the children of Gaza than the children of Grimsby, bearing down on our children and making them ashamed to feel British, ashamed of their great country.”
In response to the heckling, she said: “Local government plays a part. You can deny it, but the statistics show that our young people are being failed in many of our schools and I won’t stop standing up for them.”
Analysis: Farage’s by-election stunt could see him consigned to the dustbin of history
11:45 , David MaddoxPolitical editor David Maddox says Nigel Farage has failed to learn lessons from history – and it could result in career-ending embarrassment for the Reform UK leader.
Farage’s by-election stunt could see him consigned to the dustbin of history
Lammy to stand in at PMQs
11:39 , Dan HaygarthAttention will soon turn to Prime Minister’s Questions, where David Lammy will stand in for the outgoing Sir Keir Starmer, who is in Turkey for a Nato summit.
We will bring you all the news from the Commons from midday.
Farage is 'looking after his own family' says Clacton-on-Sea resident
11:35 , Dan HaygarthPolling guru warns Farage ‘can’t pull out’ after major parties boycott Clacton by-election
11:24 , Dan HaygarthIt’s too late for the Clacton by-election triggered by Nigel Farage to be cancelled – even though all of the main parties are boycotting it, according to a veteran elections expert.
The Reform UK leader is likely to win by a huge majority, Sir John Curtice predicted.
The Labour Party, the Tories, Liberal Democrats, Greens and Restore Britain have all said they are boycotting the by-election, leaving independent candidates, smaller parties and and Count Binface to contest it.
Read more:
Polling guru warns Farage ‘can’t pull out’ as major parties boycott by-election
Reform UK mayoral candidate claims Farage was not 'politically active' as party chairman
11:05 , Dan HaygarthMartin Lewis will not be standing
11:02 , Dan HaygarthMoney Saving Expert’s Martin Lewis said people have suggested him as a unity candidate to run against Nigel Farage in Clacton but he will not be doing so.
The financial journalist said on X on Tuesday that his political independence is important to him and has no desire to become involved in party politics.
No, I won't be standing in Clacton!
— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) July 7, 2026
A few people have suggested me as a unity candidate in the by-election today (including the News Agents pod apparently).
It's flattering, thank you, but I'd rather have month-long un-anesthetised root canal work than get engaged in party… pic.twitter.com/0557yL9PBz
Farage had no choice but to resign, says Clacton resident
10:55 , Harriette Boucher in Clacton
Reform supporter Len Brown, 79, believes Nigel Farage made the right move by resigning and calling a by-election.
“That’s the only thing he can do, really, because no one takes any notice of him at parliament, so he could only do that.”
The Clacton resident said there was “no issue” with his donations, and he wasn’t bothered by a possible second by-election soon after, which will be triggered if the investigation by parliament’s standards commissioner concludes with a suspension of more than 10 days for Mr Farage.
“What party doesn’t do anything like that, anyway? They've all got their fingers in the pies,” he said.
Mr Brown said he had seen the Reform UK leader in Clacton and at the pub a couple of times and described him as “a nice young fella.”
He believes Mr Farage made a difference while he was MP, saying: “He's done a lot for people, with animals and farms. He’s donated his own money.”
Full story: Who is actually standing in Clacton by-election?
10:50 , Dan Haygarth
Farage vs Binface: Who is actually standing in Clacton by-election?
‘Nigel Farage doesn’t care about Clacton, but he still has my support’
10:43 , Harriette Boucher, in Clacton.jpeg)
The Reform UK leader has Clacton resident Mel Campbell’s full support.
Mr Campbell, 78, also believes Nigel Farage only ran in the seaside town as a way to get to Westminster.
“He really doesn't care about Clacton…He'd never heard of Clacton until it appeared as an opportunity,” he told The Independent.
The semi-retired Clacton resident said Mr Farage’s resignation and calling of a by-election was a “pretty smart move”, adding that he wasn’t affected by the cost to the taxpayer.
Asked about Mr Farage’s undeclared donations, Mr Campbell said: “It happens all the time in politics. That's exactly why people are in politics.
“Every politician is pretty much corrupt. It's what you expect.”
He said Mr Farage was “probably no more [corrupt] than any other politician,” adding: “There's always something going on somewhere.”
He said he has never seen Mr Farage in Clacton, and doesn't think much has changed for the town since he was elected.
But Mr Campbell is extremely supportive of the Reform leader’s anti-immigration policies, which makes him the preferred choice.
While he and his wife didn’t vote in 2024 because their votes would have cancelled each other out, he said Mr Farage will have his support in any by-election.
Ed Davey calls on chancellor to stop 'Farage's cynical ploy'
10:35 , Daniel HaygarthThe Chancellor has the power to stop Farage's cynical ploy. I've written to her this morning urging her to act.
— Ed Davey (@EdwardJDavey) July 8, 2026
Farage should not be allowed to resign until the investigation into his dodgy dealings has concluded. The people of Clacton deserve the facts first. pic.twitter.com/1QCuGWcIw4
The real reason Nigel Farage fired himself
10:29 , Dan HaygarthNigel Farage's 'quit-and-reapply' stunt was intended to prove himself as the anti-establishment underdog, but all he’s really done is highlight the holes in his own illusion, say ex-Whitehall insiders Helen MacNamara and Cleo Watson.
The real reason Nigel Farage fired himself
Who is Count Binface?
09:59 , Dan Haygarth
Count Binface is preparing for his second by-election of the year, fresh from winning 95 votes in Makerfield as Any Burnham returned to parliament last month.
The novelty candidate, who represents the Count Binface party, is described as an "independent space warrior" and wears a bin on his head as a helmet.
His real name is Jonathan David Harvey and he first appeared as Lord Buckethead in the 2017 general election, when he took on Theresa May in her Maidenhead set, but had to rebrand due to a rights dispute.
He returned as Binface in 2019, standing against Boris Johnson in Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
He also stood in two London mayoral elections, gaining more than 24,000 votes each time, as well as a by-election in Uxbridge in 2023 and the general election in Rishi Sunak’s Richmond and Northallerton seat in 2024.
In his manifesto for Makerfield, the count promised that Flake ice creams would be priced at 99p, that he would deliver working trains (and working train wi-fi), as well as reinstating Ceefax in Greater Manchester.
Appearing on Radio Four on Wednesday morning, he conceded he will probably not win in Clacton.
He said: “My job is to celebrate and defend the wonders of British democracy.
“And look at this, eh? The fact that you are interviewing me on the Today Programme, because all the other parties aren’t standing, says more about them than it does about me.
“Are they running scared from old Binny, or do they think that Nigel’s running a cunning stunt? And I pronounced that carefully at 8.55 in the morning.”
Count Binface says he probably won't win but is defending British democracy
09:42 , Dan HaygarthCount Binface, the joke candidate who plans to run in a by-election against Nigel Farage, has conceded he will probably not win in Clacton.
Asked by BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme if he thought he could win the by-election, Count Binface said: “Probably not, but then you know my job is to celebrate and defend the wonders of British democracy.
“And look at this, eh? The fact that you are interviewing me on the Today Programme, because all the other parties aren’t standing, says more about them than it does about me.
“Are they running scared from old Binny, or do they think that Nigel’s running a cunning stunt? And I pronounced that carefully at 8.55 in the morning.”
Betting odds slashed on Count Binface to beat Farage in Clacton by-election
09:32 , David MaddoxBookmakers have slashed the odds of a regular joke candidate at by-elections to beat Nigel Farage in Clacton after all major parties refused to stand in what they have dubbed a “fake” election.
Count Binface is now being quoted as the second favourite at 9/2 by William Hill, as money went on him to pull off a shock victory as the anti-Farage candidate in the by-election called by the Reform UK leader.
Mr Farage dramatically announced that he would step down from parliament and call a by-election in his Clacton seat which he would contend after claiming he was the victim of “an establishment stitch-up”.
Read more:
Betting odds slashed on Count Binface to beat Farage in Clacton by-election
Yusuf says Farage not attempting to evade questions
09:11 , Dan HaygarthZia Yusuf insisted Nigel Farage was not attempting to evade questions by calling a by-election amid scrutiny over his finances.
BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme put to Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson that his boss Mr Farage had not given evidence to a parliamentary standards investigation about a £5 million gift he had received from a wealthy backer, nor had answered questions about support he had received from long-time ally George Cottrell since that story broke.
Mr Yusuf told the broadcaster: “Nigel will answer those questions, that is clear. He’s already said that he will.
“The reason that he has made the decision that he has is because the most serious sanction that parliamentary standards can impose is, of course, a suspension long enough such that a parliamentary by-election would be called if there was a recall petition.
“So what he has done is say: ‘Let’s go directly to that ultimate source of truth.’
“I know a lot of people in the establishment are uncomfortable with that, because for somebody to do what Nigel has done, whether you like him or not, it takes courage, and that’s obviously a word that can’t be associated with almost anybody in politics these days, sadly.”
Watch: Starmer hits out at Farage over 'desperate stunt' of Clacton by-election
08:56 , Dan HaygarthOpinion: The people of Clacton deserve better than this Nigel Farage circus
08:45 , Dan HaygarthTriggering a by-election is the act of desperate man who knows he’s in trouble – but at least the Essex constituents will get to see more of their MP, says David Aaronovitch.
The people of Clacton deserve better than this Nigel Farage circus
Count Binface? Laurence Fox? Who could Farage contest by-election with?
08:43 , Dan HaygarthNigel Farage said he has given voters a chance to “stick two fingers up to the establishment” by resigning as an MP and calling a by-election in Clacton, in which he will stand.
However, Mr Farage, who faces close scrutiny over gifts and support he has received, will not take on any of the established political parties as he looks to retain the seat he won at the 2024 general election.
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, with home secretary Yvette Cooper describing it as Mr Farage’s “political tantrum”.
Though Mr Farage dubbed the vote as the “people versus the establishment”, satirical candidate Count Binface appears to be the Reform UK leader’s main electoral rival so far.
The comedian, who is described as an "independent space warrior" and wears a bin on his head, has contested a number of elections, most recently the by-election in Makerfield, where he received 95 votes.
On X on Tuesday, the count wrote: “Any Clacton residents who want to nominate your friendly neighbourhood intergalactic space warrior, ping me a line!”
The Rejoin EU Party also announced it will stand a candidate in the constituency, which voted 72 per cent in favour of leaving the European Union a decade ago.
Perennial by-election participators the Monster Raving Looney Party will also stand, as well as actor-turned-campaigner Laurence Fox, who leads the Reclaim Party.
The controversial former Lewis star described Clacton as his “back yard” as he announced his intention to take on Mr Farage.
How much Farage’s Clacton by-election could cost the taxpayer revealed as Reform leader quits as MP
08:29 , Dan Haygarth
How much Farage’s Clacton by-election could cost the taxpayer as Reform leader quits
Burnham warned of ‘unsustainable’ debt and government spending in latest OBR report
08:18 , Dan HaygarthThe UK needs to take action to stop debt moving onto an “unsustainable and ever-rising path”, Andy Burnham has been warned.
The warning comes from The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) as they predicted that long-term population changes and economic trends will help put pressure on government spending during Burnham’s time as PM.
The OBR set out the findings from a series of projections in the latest annual fiscal risks and sustainability report.
“In nearly all of the scenarios we explore, debt eventually moves onto an unsustainable and ever-rising path,” it said in the report.
“We stress that it is not plausible that the UK, or any other country, could remain on any of the unsustainable paths set out in these scenarios, because they imply that debt will ultimately grow explosively.”
Read more:
Burnham warned of ‘unsustainable’ debt and government spending in latest OBR report
Zia Yusuf accuses other parties of 'trying to make a mockery of democracy'
08:10 , Millie CookeZia Yusuf has accused the other major parties of "trying to make a mockery of democracy" after they announced they would not be standing candidates in the upcoming Clacton by-election, saying there has been "extraordinary levels of coordination" between them.
He told the BBC: "Isn't it incredible how quickly all of these parties that fight and bicker on the BBC and other channels every single day can coalesce and come together to make a fast decision to not stand candidates?
“It just shows what can happen, I suppose, when politicians really want to do it."
The Reform home affairs spokesperson added: "Unfortunately, of course, what they're doing, just as they did for the last two years of local elections, is try to make a mockery of democracy itself, because for many politicians - particularly the ones from the Tory-Labour-uni-party, as we call it - they consider it their birthright to have a stranglehold over British politics, and that is why Nigel Farage is so threatening to that."
Yusuf accuses the National Crime Agency of illegally leaking private and confidential information
08:05 , Millie CookeZia Yusuf accused the National Crime Agency of illegally leaking “private and confidential information to the media” after The Guardian reported that a £5m gift to Nigel Farage by a cryptocurrency billionaire was reported to the law enforcement body amid concerns it may have been laundered money.
He told the BBC: "It would appear that law enforcement have leaked illegally private and confidential information to the media.
“It is a frankly terrifying story about how unelected bodies who are acting autonomously would seem completely unaccountable.”
Mr Yusuf said he thinks there is a "case to answer for the NCA that they have indeed broken the law in order to try to stop an insurgent political party from from upsetting the cozy establishment” .
Dan Jarvis: 'Good luck to Count Binface'
07:56 , Dan Haygarth
Nigel Farage has triggered a by-election because he “senses that he is in real trouble”, defence secretary Dan Jarvis said.
Mr Jarvis, who is currently at the Nato summit in Turkey, said in a statement: “This is clearly a stunt from Nigel trying to get in front of the concerns that have been expressed about him accepting £5 million.
“We’ll see what the standards commissioner rules. My sense is he understands the strength of feeling, which I’ve actually interestingly felt bottom up in my constituency. I think he senses that he is in real trouble and has taken action to try and get in front of that.
“I don’t think that has played out particularly well for him. I don’t think it’s been well-received. I’ve had some quite interesting feedback from my constituents that this is just a complete circus and a complete waste of time.”
Satirical candidate Count Binface appears to be Mr Farage’s main electoral rival so far, as the main parties have decided not to stand candidates.
Mr Jarvis continued: “Looks like Count Binface will be sort of stepping forward, and good luck to him.
“But I think also you make a really serious point that for a party that is doing pretty well in the polls, who aspire to the party of government, it is pretty perplexing, to say the least, that they don’t appear to have a defence spokesperson, and in fact their attendance at defence statements and moments in the House of Commons has been woeful.
“I think that is not acceptable or appropriate for a party that aspires to serve in government, and I think the public will see that.”
Clacton by-election is not embarrassing for Reform, insists Zia Yusuf
07:49 , Millie CookeZia Yusuf insisted that the by-election - which could see Nigel Farage standing against only Count Binface - is "embarrassing for the political establishment" rather than Reform UK.
Reform's home affairs spokesperson told BBC Breakfast: "It is embarrassing once again for the political establishment.
“Remember, Labour and the Tories have coordinated together now many times over the last couple of years ... they worked really hard to deny millions of people in England their right to vote in local elections in 2025, they worked really hard to do the same thing in 2026 and would have succeeded had Nigel Farage not had the courage and the gumption to actually go to a judicial review.
"And then in the end they had to go back with their tails between their legs, and they lost thousands of councillors between them as a result.
"And so I would say this: it is indeed the people versus the establishment, Nigel Farage versus the establishment, and the veracity of a set of elections, legitimacy of those elections is not determined by which parties coordinate together to not stand candidates.
"It is very much down to the people of Clacton to make a determination, and I'm confident that they will return Nigel Farage to the House of Commons."
Editorial: Nigel Farage has finally shown his hand in a desperate bid to dodge scrutiny
07:32 , Dan HaygarthNigel Farage, just back from America where he attended Donald Trump’s underwhelming celebrations of the US’s 250th anniversary of independence, is clearly following the president’s playbook. When asked awkward questions, you deflect, divert, distract and cry foul.
The Reform UK leader’s announcement that he will resign as an MP and force a by-election in his Clacton constituency, in which he will stand as a candidate, is a diversionary tactic in response to legitimate questions about his finances.
It is a stunt that shows he still knows how to attract attention. He did his best to present himself as a martyr, paying the price for his courageous stand against the establishment. And he is quite right that no one should have to put up with death threats, or threats of physical violence – which include having milkshake thrown over him. It is an appalling indictment of our society that people who seek to take part in democratic service should feel threatened in this way.
But to put the people of Clacton through an unnecessary by-election in order to deflect attention is self-serving and weak.
Read in full on the link below.
Nigel Farage has finally shown his hand in a desperate bid to dodge scrutiny
Cooper: By-election is Farage's 'political tantrum'
07:18 , Dan Haygarth
The Clacton by-election triggered by Nigel Farage “shouldn’t be happening”, Yvette Cooper said, as she described it as the Reform UK leader’s “political tantrum”.
Asked why Labour was not standing a candidate in the contest, the foreign secretary told BBC Breakfast: “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, who is at the Nato leaders’ summit in Turkey, said her focus remained on problems around the “increasingly dangerous world”.
She 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.
“I just think we have to focus on what is right and in the interests of the country, and not on this sort of political stunt.”
