Earlier this week, Nigel Farage announced that he would be resigning as the MP for Clacton. This came following the backlash and investigation into his undeclared £5 million donation and further scrutiny of the revelation of his dealings with convicted criminal George Cottrell. Resignation as a result of scandal is a common ritual for politicians. However, Farage decided to do the unusual thing of declaring that he would be running to be re-elected in the by-election he had just triggered. He is essentially leaving it to the people of Clacton to decide whether or not he’s guilty.

The Reform leader is currently being investigated by Parliament’s standards commissioner for an undisclosed £5 million gift that he received from a Thailand- based crypto billionaire shortly before he became an MP. They have also been urged to look into Farage’s decision not to declare financial support he received from convicted fraudster George Cottrell.

The Guardian initially revealed this £5 million gift he received from Reform donor Christopher Harborne in April. Since the revelation, Farage has insisted he did nothing wrong as he had no obligation to declare it. He cites security as his main reason for needing and accepting the gift. This week, The Guardian revealed that the gift had been reported to the UK crime agency over concerns about money laundering.

According to the Guardian’s sources in the financial industry, Farage received the balance of the £ 5 m after he had ruled himself out of standing for parliament in the 2024 election, and shortly before he said he would run for the seat of Clacton in Essex. 

Another revelation that has raised serious questions and added to the scandal is the revelation by The Sunday Times that Farage was being secretly funded by convicted criminal ‘Posh George’ Cottrell. The Times’ investigation found that the Reform leader did not declare benefits, including staff security and housing provided by the crypto gambler. “I have done nothing wrong. I have not broken the law in any way at all. I have not misused public money,” Farage insisted in his address to the public. 

Throughout his address, he repeatedly stated this, insisting that he used the money for security reasons, as he claimed to be ‘the most physically and verbally attacked public figure or politician of modern times’. This is untrue given that two sitting MPs have been murdered in the last decade – Jo Cox in 2016 and David Amess six years later. Furthermore, current political figures such as the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, also frequently receive threats and abuse, with the mayor being targeted because of his religion. 

This type of hyperbolic language was the perfect accompaniment for his anti-establishment rhetoric, which he put forward to the people of Clacton. “The people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions,” Farage said. “This will be a people versus the establishment by-election.” 

He is painting a routine response to suspicious behaviour as a personal attack by the establishment, positioning himself as an innocent victim. Rules and standards are part of the establishment, and so accountability is now framed as an attack.

By leaving his future to the people, he is manufacturing consent for evading accountability and overtly treating politics as a game where the stakes concern his own selfish interest and not the public’s. The cost of his political game will fall to the taxpayer.

Farage did offer for Reform to pay the cost of the by-election (which could exceed £200,000), but a Labour source dismissed the offer outright as it would infringe on the integrity and independence of the by-election.

This Labour source told The Mirror: “A political figure paying for a by-election he is standing in would clearly undermine the independence of the democratic process. It’s baffling that he can’t see that. They added: “He cannot just buy his way out of the mess he’s got himself into. This by-election will be conducted under the same rules as all elections are in the UK. Farage will have to take responsibility for making taxpayers pay the cost of his latest ego trip.”

His resignation means a pause on the investigation, and he seems to be under the impression that his win is consent from the people for this investigation to remain paused. 

However even if he does win, the investigation will resume because he has broken the rules and standards meant to be upheld by all members of parliament and so will be held accountable.

Nonetheless, this decision by the Reform leader to run for re-election may become a really embarrassing one, given that in this upcoming election the ‘establishment’ is a man dressed as a bin. 

After Farage declared he would be running for re-election, the Labour Party, the Conservative Party, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, and Restore Britain all announced they would boycott the election, leaving Count Binface as his only opponent. Count Binface is a satirical candidate whose pledges include abolishing VAR in football, conscripting people who play loud music on public transport and restoring the 99p flakes to 99p.

The “independent space warrior” created by comedian Johnathan Harvey has stood in previous elections against high-profile politicians including Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and, most recently, in the by-election in Makerfield, where he received 95 votes.

Whether Farage wins or loses, the Reform leader can’t be taken seriously or claim to be fighting against the establishment because he now is the establishment and a laughing stock. 

A Labour spokesman said: “Nigel Farage is engulfed in a sleaze scandal and he’s desperately trying to change the subject. It’s pathetic, and the Labour Party is not going to indulge it.” They added: “Labour’s ruling body, the National Executive Committee, has decided not to stand a candidate in this circus.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer labelled Farage’s move “a desperate stunt”, adding: “It’s obvious why he’s doing it – he is up to his neck in sleaze.”

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey called for parties to boycott the by-election and for the government to block Farage’s resignation until the investigation by the standards committee was completed. 

“We will not be standing a candidate in the fake by-election that Farage is causing to distract people from what is happening. We need to let that investigation run its course”, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said. Green Party leader Zack Polanski said: “This is a desperate stunt from a desperate politician whose lifetime of grifting is finally catching up with him. Greens will play no part in his political circus.”

A recent poll conducted by Ipsos revealed that more Britons want Count Binface (33%) to win the by-election than Nigel Farage (21%). Now, a victory for Count Binface isn’t guaranteed as power is now in the hands of the Clacton residents, but what is guaranteed is that Nigel Farage won’t be able to outrun his scandals.