Nigel Farage latest: Police probe Reform donations by fraudster’s mother ahead of Count Binface by-election

What unfolded on 7 July was unexpected, even by Nigel Farage’s standards. After trailing a statement on his future in public life, he avoided saying anything meaningful. Instead, in a 15-minute speech straight out of the Trump playbook, he baselessly accused the media of harassment, dodged scrutiny around his donations, and avoided addressing any central questions about his political funding.

Something is clearly happening, and it was visible throughout the broadcast. Farage looked rattled, furious even, while his resignation suggests a panic he is desperately trying to gulp down.

But having run out of convincing answers, he has fallen back on the oldest trick in the book: flood the zone with chaos, turn your plight into a martyrdom circus by forcing a by-election.

Read the full analysis from Georgios Samaras here:

James Murray agreed with Andy Burnham that the UK was too slow to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Asked whether he agreed with the prime minister-in-waiting, the Health Secretary told Times Radio: “I think that yes, by the time we called for a ceasefire, it was overdue.”

Mr Burnham told The Guardian: “I know many people feel that at the start of Israel’s military action in Gaza my party didn’t get it right and I am sorry about that. The response has too often not been good enough. We need to do better.

“We’ve got to do more to put pressure on the Israeli government … Yes, we have taken some important steps … But let’s be honest, the UK was too slow to call for a ceasefire. And we must now do more to strengthen our approach.”

James Murray said he would not get into “running commentary and conversations that I’m having with Andy or his team”, when asked whether he was speaking to prime minister-in-waiting Andy Burnham.

Asked how secure his job as health secretary was, Mr Murray told Times Radio: “As I said, I’m not going to give any running commentary, and any of those decisions are, of course, for Andy to take himself.”

Asked about Mr Burnham facing a potential grilling by the Parliamentary Labour Party next Monday, Mr Murray said: “I didn’t know that was happening but it’ll be interesting to go along and I think come together around Andy’s vision because some of the things that matter to me that Andy set out, his focus on devolution for instance.”

Labour has accused Reform UK of taking the public “for fools” amid further questions about the party’s financial affairs.

Anna Turley, the Labour chairwoman, said there were “legitimate questions” for Reform leader Nigel Farage following reports in The Times that the Metropolitan Police has been investigating £500,000 donations to Reform UK for more than a year.

According to the newspaper, officers opened an inquiry into possible offences related to evading restrictions on donations at the 2024 election, either through concealing donations from an “impermissible” donor or using false information about a donation.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said the force had opened an inquiry in February 2025 following a referral by the Electoral Commission “relating to donations made to a political party ahead of the 2024 UK general election”.

The spokesperson said two people had so far been interviewed under caution and “early investigative advice” had been sought from the Crown Prosecution Service, but no arrests have been made.

Ms Turley said it was “right” that the police were investigating the matter, adding: “The British public know when they’re being taken for fools – if Nigel Farage could clear his name, he would have done it by now.”

A spokesperson for Reform UK said: “The British people are tired of the establishment media doing anything they can to stop Reform. A daily routine of hit jobs and smears will not deter us from winning the next general election and fixing broken Britain.“It’s now clear that the establishment will try anything to stop us.”

Ann Widdecombe, the former MP and MEP who also featured on Strictly Come Dancing, has died aged 78.

A statement from her management said: “It is with great sadness that today we announce the death of the Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe, DSG.

“We send our deepest condolences to Ann’s family and friends. We ask that the family’s wish not to be contacted at this sad time is respected.”

Miss Widdecombe was a Conservative MP between 1987 and 2010 for the Kent constituency of Maidstone, later Maidstone and the Weald, and held several ministerial positions in Sir John Major’s government.

She famously clashed with her Conservative colleague Michael Howard, when she was a Home Office minister and he home secretary, describing him as having “something of the night about him”.

Miss Widdecombe also faced flak for defending a policy of chaining pregnant prisoners to their beds.

A statement from Cloud9 Management, who represented her for more than a decade, said she would be missed “greatly”.