Nigel Farage has announced his candidacy for the general election under Reform UK and is now the party’s leader.
He will run in Clacton, reversing his previous decision not to stand in July’s election. Farage cited his commitment to supporters and his campaign trail experiences as reasons for his change of heart.
Clacton, which was the first to elect a UKIP MP in 2014, currently has a Conservative majority of 24,702. Farage aims to lead a “political revolt,” criticizing the Conservative Party and predicting their fall to opposition. He seeks a significant voter turnout, aiming to surpass UKIP’s 2015 performance.
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Recent polls indicate a difficult path for the Conservatives. A YouGov poll for Sky News suggests Labour is set for a historic victory, potentially securing 422 seats to the Conservatives’ 140. Another poll by More in Common predicts Labour winning 382 seats, with the Conservatives at 180. These projections were made before Farage’s announcement.
Farage is focusing his campaign on immigration, advocating for a sharp reduction in unskilled immigrants entering the UK. He also dismissed Reform’s previous policy of relocating asylum seekers to British overseas territories as impractical.
Having previously run for MP unsuccessfully seven times, Farage is determined to make an impact in Clacton. The constituency was previously held by UKIP after former Tory MP Douglas Carswell defected and won a by-election. In the 2016 referendum, over 70% of Clacton voters supported Brexit. Conservative Giles Watling reclaimed the seat in 2017 and increased his majority in 2019, which he is defending again this July.
Watling criticized Farage’s motivations as vanity-driven. Many Conservatives fear Farage’s prominent role could harm their prospects, recalling how the Brexit Party’s strategy in 2019 avoided splitting the pro-Brexit vote. Farage has ruled out deals with the Tories for the upcoming election, with Reform UK contesting 630 seats across the UK.
Reform UK had one MP in the last Parliament, Lee Anderson, who defected from the Conservatives. Richard Tice, the previous leader, stepped aside for Farage. A Conservative Party spokesperson accused Farage of risking Labour’s rise, while Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper urged Rishi Sunak to rule out any future collaboration with Farage.
Confirmed candidates for Clacton include Giles Watling (Conservative), Jovan Owusu-Nepaul (Labour), Matthew Bensilum (Liberal Democrats), and Natasha Osben (Green Party). The full candidate list will be available after nominations close on Friday.
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