LONDON: British anti-immigrant politician Nigel Farage announced on Tuesday he would resign as a member of parliament to run in a snap by-election, in a high-stakes gamble following scrutiny over his finances.

The highly unusual move comes with Farage, whose Reform UK party leads national opinion polls, facing mounting pressure over the non-disclosure of gifts, including allegedly from a convicted fraudster.

Parliament’s anti-sleaze wat­­­chdog was investigating the hard-right firebrand and long-time anti-European Union campaigner over donations from two wealthy individuals. Farage’s resignation means the probes will now be suspended.

“I’ve decided that the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions,” Farage said in a televised address, referring to the southeast England constituency he has represented for two years. “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,” he added. Farage, who helped persuade Britons vote to leave the EU during a divisive re­f­­­­erendum in 2016, was ele­­­cted an MP at his eighth attempt during the July 20­24 general election.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2026