Reform UK’s Farage resigns as MP amid funding scandal, forcing by-election

Nigel Farage says he’s ‘done nothing wrong’ as parliament investigates undeclared benefits he accepted from a fraudster.London, United Kingdom – Far-right politician Nigel Farage is resigning as a member of parliament after revelations about his financial backers, triggering a by-election in which he plans to stand as a candidate.In a fiery speech on Tuesday, the Reform UK party leader railed against “the establishment” and insisted he has “done nothing wrong” amid growing scrutiny of his funding.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3UK’s Farage’s gold deal tests his populist brand as Restore Britain riseslist 2 of 3Reform UK’s Farage failed to disclose funds from convicted criminal: Reportlist 3 of 3‘Brexit has not been the economic disaster many claimed’end of list“I’ve decided that the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions,” Farage said, referring to the constituency where he was elected as an MP.“This will be a people vs the establishment by-election,” he said. “It’s a chance to stick two fingers up to the entire establishment, to frankly tell them where to go.”Farage, who has led Reform into the mainstream with zealous anti-Immigration rhetoric, said he faces “yet another standards investigation” after The Sunday Times revealed he did not declare benefits paid for by a convicted fraudster.The Sunday Times reported George Cottrell, 32, recruited and paid three staff to work on Farage’s social media before the 2024 general election and has continued to allow Farage to use a five-storey Georgian townhouse he rented near Buckingham Palace.In 2017, Cottrell was jailed in the United States for his role in a money-laundering conspiracy.But Farage doubled down that the benefits were for personal use, charging that parliamentary “standards are now being used as a political tool”.“I have not broken the law in any way at all. I have not misused public money,” he said, adding, “Making money is not a crime.”