Nigel Farage triggered a £250,000 by-election in Clacton to “stick two fingers up to the establishment” after facing mounting scrutiny over his personal finances.
Labour and the Conservatives said the result of the Clacton by-election would not draw a line under the saga surrounding donations received by Nigel Farage.
Nigel Farage has now won the Clacton by-election – triggered by Mr Farage’s resignation over scrutiny of donations from cryptocurrency tycoon Christopher Harborne.
A spokesperson for the Conservative Party said the “stunt” of calling the by-election would not draw a line under it. The Reform UK leader quit as an MP to trigger the by-election in protest at media and parliamentary scrutiny of donations from his backers.
Mr Farage said it was a chance to “stick two fingers up to the establishment”. Ms Phillipson said: “Nigel Farage spent 38 days fighting a bin in his most desperate attempt yet to deflect attention from the sleaze and scandals engulfing him and his Party.
“Farage may succeed in his run-off against a bin, but he can’t run from the truth forever. The list of unanswered questions about the £5 million gift he hid from the public, his support from a convicted fraudster, and the mountain of other scandals he and Reform are facing isn’t going away.
“In fact, it’s getting longer by the day. It’s time to stop the excuses and desperate distractions and finally come clean with the public. If Farage has nothing to hide, he surely would have done so by now.”
“Let’s be clear: this is no victory for Nigel Farage. The mountain of sleaze and scandal he and Reform are now engulfed in has grown and grown while he’s been trying to distract the public by fighting a by-election against a bin.
“This morning, Nigel Farage shouldn’t be celebrating – he should wake up and smell the coffee. He must come clean with the public and put all the facts on the table over his secret £5 million gift, his relationship with a convicted fraudster, and the other scandals his Party is drowning in.
“Farage’s distraction by-election doesn’t clear his name – it just shows he likely has so much more to hide.”
A Conservative Party Spokesman said: “Nigel Farage called this fake by-election in a desperate attempt to draw a line under the questions surrounding his fishy £5 million donation.”
The contest is estimated to have cost taxpayers about £250,000.
Before quitting Westminster, Mr Farage was being investigated by the parliamentary standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg over a £5 million gift from cryptocurrency tycoon Christopher Harborne, which he received before taking his seat in the Commons.
Under Commons rules, new MPs are required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift “could not be reasonably thought by others” to relate to their political activities.
That investigation was paused when Mr Farage resigned his seat but will resume now he has won the by-election.
Mr Farage could also face an investigation over support provided by George Cottrell, a long-term ally.
Mr Cottrell reportedly recruited and paid three staff to work on Mr Farage’s social media before the general election, and has continued to allow him to use a five-storey, Georgian property he rented near Buckingham Palace.
The main Westminster parties refused to take part in this contest but could stand if the outcome of the standards investigation into Mr Farage results in another by-election.
If he is found to have broken the rules and a suspension of more than 10 days is imposed, it could trigger a recall petition and the prospect of Mr Farage losing his seat, forcing a second contest.
In the 2024 general election, Mr Farage won Clacton with 46.2% of the vote and a majority of 8,405 over his Conservative rival.
Labour Party chairwoman Bridget Phillipson said: “Nigel Farage spent 38 days fighting a bin in his most desperate attempt yet to deflect attention from the sleaze and scandals engulfing him and his party.
“Farage may succeed in his run-off against a bin, but he can’t run from the truth forever. The list of unanswered questions about the £5 million gift he hid from the public, his support from a convicted fraudster and the mountain of other scandals he and Reform are facing isn’t going away. In fact, it’s getting longer by the day.
“It’s time to stop the excuses and desperate distractions and finally come clean with the public. If Farage has nothing to hide, he surely would have done so by now.”
A Conservative Party spokesman said: “Nigel Farage called this fake by-election in a desperate attempt to draw a line under the questions surrounding his fishy £5 million donation. Whatever the outcome on Friday, this stunt has not done that.”
