Nigel Farage has announced his resignation as the member of parliament for Clacton, triggering a by-election in which he intends to stand again while insisting he has "done nothing wrong" amid continuing scrutiny over financial support he has received.
The Reform UK leader said the decision would allow voters in his constituency to decide his political future rather than Parliament or the media.
Farage described the contest as a "people versus the establishment" by-election and argued that parliamentary standards investigations were being used against him for political reasons.
Farage is already under investigation by Parliament's standards commissioner after failing to declare a £5 million gift from cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne before entering Parliament.
The investigation follows renewed calls for further scrutiny after reports that political ally George Cottrell provided additional support before the 2024 general election.
According to reports, Cottrell recruited and paid three staff to work on Farage's social media and security, while also allowing him to use a townhouse near Buckingham Palace.
Cottrell was jailed in the United States in 2017 for his role in a money-laundering conspiracy after pleading guilty to a wire fraud-related charge.
Farage has maintained that the benefits were personal rather than linked to parliamentary or political activity and therefore did not require declaration.
He also said he had not broken the law or misused public money.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized the resignation, calling it a "desperate stunt" and accusing Farage of being "up to his neck in sleaze."
Farage rejected those accusations, saying he wanted the people of Clacton to judge his actions directly.
He also said concerns over his family's privacy and safety following recent media coverage contributed to his decision to resign.
Under parliamentary rules, the existing standards investigation will be suspended following his resignation and would resume if he wins the by-election and returns to Parliament.
The contest is expected to place renewed attention on the allegations surrounding Farage's financial backing as voters decide whether to return him to Westminster.