Nigel Farage humiliated as Clacton by-election 'stunt' backfires with boycott from political rivals

Nigel Farage humiliated as Clacton by-election 'stunt' backfires with boycott from political rivals Within hours Mr Farage was left with egg on his face as political parties of all colours - including Labour, the Tories, the Liberal Democrats, and right-wing Restore - announced they would boycott the Clacton by-election in a rare move Rattled Nigel Farage has been left humiliated as his “cynical political stunt” to quit as an MP and trigger a by-election in his own seat spectacularly unravelled. The under-fire Reform chief, who said he would fight in the Clacton contest, desperately attempted to frame the fight as a “people versus the establishment by-election”. Critics said he had “jumped before he’s pushed” amid a probe by the parliamentary commissioner for standards over his failure to declare a £5million gift from Thai-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne before his election as an MP. But within hours Mr Farage was left with egg on his face as political parties of all colours - including Labour, the Tories, the Liberal Democrats, and right-wing Restore - announced they would boycott the Clacton by-election in a rare move. 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.” Ahead of the announcement, Keir Starmer told reporters as he arrived at the Nato summit in Turkey: "This is a desperate stunt from Nigel Farage and it's obvious why he's doing it - he is up to his neck in sleaze. "Politics should be about improving the lives of millions of people, not about personal gain, not about hiding dodgy donations, and I think the public will see this for exactly what it is." Tory chief Kemi Badenoch said her party would not stand a candidate in the “fake” Clacton by-election Mr Farage is “causing to distract people from what is happening”. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey added: "If this by-election does go ahead now, we are calling on all parties to stand aside and refuse to give oxygen to Farage’s vanity project.” It raises the prospect of Mr Farage fighting the by-election this summer against just one candidate, Count Binface, a comedian who usually dons a bin-shaped helmet. A spokeswoman for PM-in-waiting Andy Burnham added: "This is a gimmick designed to distract from serious allegations about Farage's funders. What really matters in politics is how we can change Westminster to take power for communities and bring it back to people to make life more affordable for them.” Alongside declarations over the £5million gift, Mr Farage is also facing the possibility of a second probe over separate allegations he failed to declare financial benefits from a convicted criminal. He was accused of breaching parliamentary rules over claims he accepted staffing, security and housing from George Cottrell - a rich aristocrat known as “Posh George”- before he became an MP. Mr Farage, who has appeared rattled in recent media interviews, was referred to the parliamentary commissioner for standards over the allegations over the weekend. The Reform chief’s announcement to quit as MP will likely mean the probe surrounding the £5million gift from the crypto billionaire Mr Harborne is set be paused. But the investigation would be revived again if he is successful in defending his majority of more than 8,000 votes in Clacton. It raises the prospect of a second by-election in the seat down the line if the commissioner finds Mr Farage breached the rules and is handed a suspension of over 10 days from the Commons. On Tuesday, Mr Farage also offered for Reform to pay the cost of the by-election - which could exceed £200,000 – but a Labour source dismissed the offer outright. They 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 along 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.” In his surprise statement Mr Farage cried “making money is not a crime” and insisted: “I have done nothing wrong. I have not broken the law in any way at all.” Mr Farage added he would not be “judged” by the media: “I’ve decided that the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions. This will be a people versus the establishment by-election. “It’s a chance to stick two fingers up to the entire establishment to frankly tell them where to go, and that is why I will be putting my name forward to stand in this by-election.” Former Tory leader Lord Howard told Times Radio calling a by-election was "a typical piece of Farage trickery designed to avoid parliamentary scrutiny”. TUC General Secretary Mr Nowak added: “Farage is jumping before he’s pushed. This is straight out of the Trumpian playbook – attacking the media and anyone daring to ask legitimate questions about his finances. Britain and Clacton deserve better than this.”