Nigel Farage has confirmed that he will not stand as a candidate for Reform UK at the general election, which has been announced for July 4.
In a statement on Thursday morning, Reform’s honorary president revealed he had thought “long and hard as to whether” he should stand. But he had concluded that “it is not the right time” to return to frontline politics.
On Wednesday evening, after prime minister Rishi Sunak shocked Westminster by announcing a general election, Farage remained coy, telling GB News that he would think “overnight” about whether to stand.
Speaking after the election announcement, Farage said: “Richard Tice [the Reform leader] has got [the party] up and running, there are 500 candidates selected, he will get more.
“The whole plan for Reform was that it was a six-year plan – fight this election, get ready for when Labour fail, which they will.
“Starmer’s first cabinet will not have the competence that Blair’s first cabinet had by an absolute mile. Reform will fight the election. As for what I do, I’ll think about it overnight.”
In a statement since making those comments, posted to X/Twitter, Farage indicated that his focus will be on the election in the US – which he said was of “huge global significance”.
Farage is a prominent supporter of former president Donald Trump.
The former UKIP leader’s statement in full reads:: “I have thought long and hard as to whether I should stand in the upcoming general election. As honorary president of Reform UK, I am fully supportive of Richard Tice’s leadership and urge voters to put their trust in him and Lee Anderson. I will do my bit to help in the campaign, but it is not the right time for me to go any further than that.
“Important though the general election is, the contest in the United States of America on November 5 has huge global significance. A strong America as a close ally is vital for our peace and security. I intend to help with the grassroots campaign in the USA in any way that I can.
“The choice between Labour and the Conservatives is uninspiring, and only Reform have the radical agenda that is needed to end decline in this country”.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
Politics.co.uk is the UK’s leading digital-only political website, providing comprehensive coverage of UK politics. Subscribe to our daily newsletter here.
