What to know about Nigel Farage's dramatic resignation and political gambit in the UK

By — Jill Lawless, Associated Press Jill Lawless, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/what-to-know-about-nigel-farages-dramatic-resignation-and-political-gambit-in-the-uk Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter What to know about Nigel Farage's dramatic resignation and political gambit in the UK World Jul 8, 2026 6:44 PM EDT LONDON (AP) — Nigel Farage says the political establishment is out to stop him. But the Reform UK leader's attempt to prove it has not gone to plan. Facing awkward questions about his finances, the anti-immigration politician dramatically announced that he's quitting Parliament in order to run again, a move critics denounced as a ploy to dodge a parliamentary probe. His resignation as a lawmaker became official on Wednesday. WATCH: A decade after Brexit, UK voters reflect on decision to break from European Union Farage said the special election will be "people versus the establishment." But his opponents aren't playing ball. All the major political parties say they will not field candidates against Farage, leaving him to run all but unopposed. The gambit could backfire further if an investigation into his finances continues and creates a scenario requiring a second special election. Here's what to know about a dramatic development in British politics and what comes next. Farage is a skilled political provocateur Farage only became a British lawmaker two years ago, winning election to Parliament after seven failed attempts, and has led a series of fractious hard-right political parties. But he is arguably one of the most influential politicians of recent decades. His obsession with taking the United Kingdom out of the European Union helped turn Brexit from a fringe cause to a reality. More recently, he has tapped into anxieties about immigration and social change in a way that echoes his ally, U.S. President Donald Trump, and European populists. READ MORE: Andy Burnham prepares for a UK Labour leadership contest that may be a coronation Farage has capitalized on — critics say stoked — concerns about migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats, which he has called an invasion, and alleges that white people face discrimination from police. Reform UK holds just eight of the 650 seats in the House of Commons, but consistently leads opinion polls and was the big winner in local and regional elections in May that led to the ouster of Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the hands of his own Labour Party. If the pattern holds, Farage could become prime minister after the next election, due by 2029. The politician's finances are under scrutiny Farage has many sources of income other than a lawmaker's salary, including hawking gold bullion, hosting a TV current affairs show, public speaking and recording personal video messages on the Cameo website. Parliament's standards watchdog is investigating a potentially rule-breaking donation of 5