Honorary president of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, announced on Wednesday that he will not be running as a candidate for the party at the general election, putting an end to months of speculation.
In an official statement on social media, the former leader of the Brexit Party said he “thought long and hard” if he should stand in the upcoming general election, before ultimately deciding this is “not the right time.”
The populist figure said he will “do my bit to help” the campaign, but will be devoting much of his time to the “grassroots” election campaign for former President Donald Trump in the United States, which culminates on Nov. 5.
Mr. Farage said that “important as the British general election is,” the U.S. political contest has “huge global significance” for “peace and security.”
The co-founder of Reform has put his full support behind current leader Richard Tice.
Shortly after Mr. Farage’s announcement, Mr. Tice unveiled the party’s election strategy.
The former businessman and MEP said that Mr. Farage will be helping out “significantly” in the party’s election campaign.
Mr. Tice was quick to accuse Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of “cutting and running” to an early election, “absolutely terrified” after “bottling it,” as the Conservative Party “sinks in the polls.”
The leader called out “experts” in the government, Treasury, Office for Budget Responsibility, and Bank of England for “incompetence” in bringing about the UK’s “longest recession per person.”
Mr. Tice revealed the party will be “standing in 630 seats across the whole of England, Scotland, and Wales.”
He also announced he will personally be running in the constituency of Boston and Skegness in Lincolnshire, where Conservative MP Matt Warman won the majority in the 2019 general election.
Mr. Tice dubbed the upcoming general election the “immigration election,” hitting out at the recent net figures of mass immigration.
It comes as Mr. Sunak announced on Wednesday that the country will go to the polls on July 4, with Mr. Sunak facing off against Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
A Cabinet meeting was announced for 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, leading to mounting speculation that a snap general election would be called.
Addressing journalists in the pouring rain outside Number 10, Downing Street at 5:15 p.m., Mr. Sunak said he had come to office to “restore economic stability,” and claimed his policies are on track to deliver this.
He confirmed he had spoken to King Charles to dissolve Parliament on May 30, with the election campaign set to begin in earnest in what many commentators will see as a gamble.
“On 5 July, either Keir Starmer or I will become prime minister,” he said, claiming the Labour leader has no plan and “lacks conviction.”
Sir Keir also appeared before the cameras on Wednesday to say that Labour had a plan for the country that was “ready to go, fully funded, and fully costed.”
He added that he was well aware of the “cynicism” with which many people regard politics in the current climate, but pledged that a vote for Labour would be “a vote for stability ... economic and political, and a politics that treads more lightly on all our lives. A vote to stop the chaos.”
Labour has not won an election since 2005 when Sir Tony Blair secured a third consecutive term, defeating then-Conservative leader Michael Howard with a comfortable majority.
