Nigel Farage says he will not stand in UK general election

On the first day of the Reform party's election campaign, Nigel Farage declared that he will not be a candidate in the upcoming UK general election. This decision is a setback for the Reform party.

On Thursday, Farage made it clear that he would not run for the party he had previously been in charge of. This stops the ongoing conjecture that he would try for the eighth time to become a member of parliament.

On a specific time before the Reform leader, Richard Tice, commenced the party's campaign for the general election, the ex-leader of Ukip announced his decision.

Farage wrote on Twitter that he has taken a lot of time to consider whether he should run in the upcoming general election. He supports Richard Tice's leadership as the honorary president of Reform UK and encourages voters to have faith in him and Lee Anderson, who is the only MP representing the party. Although he plans on helping with the campaign, he believes it's not the appropriate time for him to take any further action.

He stated his desire to have the freedom to participate in the upcoming US presidential election this year. He emphasized the significance of the November 5th competition in the United States, which has a massive impact on the entire world, despite the importance of the general election.

YouGov's survey revealed that Farage is the most favored politician in the United Kingdom. Reform, a political campaign, had the expectation that if Farage participated in elections, he would bolster their cause and decrease the number of votes for the Conservative party.

The study conducted by Savanta yesterday exhibited that he has gained immense admiration from Conservative voters, with approximately a third of them stating their discontent for the fact that he opted out of the election. On the other hand, a poll carried out by YouGov for the Progressive Policy Institute unveiled that Reform has seen a significant increase in its proportion of votes from working-class British individuals, escalating from 7 points in 2019 to 14 points present-day.

A reform advocate expressed, "He made individuals wait for an extensive period, and now it appears as though he is uncertain about his future plans."

One individual running for the party commented, "It's hard to know what drives him. What's important is that if we want Reform UK to have a lasting impact in British politics, we need to rely on more than just the charm of a single person."

Tice didn't show any sign of being unhappy with Farage's choice. He talked to the media during his campaign launch and made it clear that Farage never promised to run. Tice expressed his joy that Farage will assist them in campaigning for the next six weeks, which is the first time he has done so. He is excited about it!

Tice verified that Farage agreed to abstain from hosting his program on GB News while the campaign is ongoing.

On Thursday, Tice mentioned that the Reform party intends to contest in 630 different seats across different regions throughout UK such as England, Scotland and Wales. As of now, they are closely examining 130 potential candidates to ensure that they are fit to do so.

The political party has faced difficulties in the past due to its candidates expressing radical opinions on the internet. As a result, a number of members were dismissed. Tice acknowledged that the party has been more thorough in vetting potential candidates, but anticipated additional complications.

"Vetting is similar to getting an MOT certification," he explained. "When you have a car, the MOT certification is acceptable as long as the car is functioning properly. However, if the car is involved in an accident the next day, the certification would no longer be valid."

Farage ultimately has ownership over the Reform organization, but when one looks at their financial statements and filings, it becomes clear that Tice has been the main source of funding. Since taking over in 2021, he has generously contributed about 80% of the organization's declared funds in the form of donations and loans.

During a recent speech, Tice shared with the audience that executing a successful ground campaign would prove to be a challenging endeavor. This was owing to the fact that Reform was operating on an annual budget of less than £1.5m. In comparison, the two main political parties, Conservatives and Labour, had the liberty to spend up to £35m each in the year leading up to the election.

According to Tice, he has currently selected roughly 450 contenders for the upcoming election. During the last council elections, Reform was only able to compete in 323 districts.