Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has announced that he is resigning as a Member of Parliament, triggering a by-election in his Clacton constituency, where he says he will stand again.

Farage said the vote would give his constituents the chance to judge him directly, following growing scrutiny over his financial affairs and his links to political donors.

His decision comes after reports that he faces further questions from U.K. parliamentary authorities over whether he failed to declare in-kind benefits from George Cottrell, a convicted fraudster and long-time associate, in the period before his election to Parliament in 2024.

Farage is already under investigation by the parliamentary standards watchdog over allegations that he failed to declare a £5 million donation from Christopher Harborne, a Thailand-based cryptocurrency billionaire, before entering Parliament.

In both cases, the Reform UK leader denies wrongdoing. He insists that he has not broken any rules and says the by-election will allow voters to decide whether they still want him to represent them in Westminster.

The move sets up a closely watched contest in Clacton and comes at a politically sensitive moment for Reform UK, which has sought to present itself as a major challenger to both Labour and the Conservatives.