Nigel Farage to stand for Reform UK in general election U-turn

The ongoing general election campaign of the Conservative party was struggling when a piece of upsetting news was received: Nigel Farage declared his plan to contest as a Member of Parliament and take charge of the Reform party for the upcoming five years. This event could cause harm to the Conservative party's campaign.

The ex-leader of Ukip and Brexit party announced that he will participate in the elections for Clacton, Essex. He made this decision during his campaign while he was interacting with people. He stated that he made this choice because he did not want to disappoint the people who support him.

Farage has agreed to become the new leader of Reform UK, replacing Richard Tice. He has promised to remain in the position for a complete term in parliament.

The announcement he made puts the Tory candidate in Clacton in danger right away. However, it could also invigorate his party's campaign throughout the country by dividing right-wing voters in various other constituencies.

This also brings up the possibility of Farage causing trouble for the Tories as they engage in a struggle for the essence of their party after the election.

Farage has made an attempt to win in Clacton, where UKIP secured its first MP back in 2014, and the Conservatives have a strong majority of 24,702. This marks his eighth try at getting into Parliament, as he was unsuccessful in each of the seven prior attempts.

Sunak has suffered another setback as YouGov's initial MRP constituency projection, prior to Farage's statement, indicated that Keir Starmer could secure a 194-seat majority, which is larger than Tony Blair's 179-seat majority in 1997.

The latest constituency boundaries have resulted in Labour securing 422 seats in the recent elections, which is a significant increase of 222 compared to 2019. However, the Conservative party now only holds 140 seats, having lost a considerable 232. The Liberal Democrats have gained 40 seats, bringing their tally to 48. The Scottish National Party has suffered a setback, having lost 31 seats and only holding 17. A senior member of the Conservative party expressed concern over the re-emergence of Farage, stating it poses an "existential" threat.

During a press gathering held in the heart of London, the conservative individual declared that he had observed a widespread dismissal of the political establishment throughout the nation unlike any that had been encountered in contemporary history. He aspired to take the reins and spearhead a revolutionary movement in politics.

He also aimed to present the increase in popularity of Reform UK as a component of what he labeled as "a unique occurrence" prior to the elections for the European parliament taking place this weekend, at which far-right parties are anticipated to excel. "I assure you that something significant is taking place in the wider community," he expressed.

The choice he made implies that the discussion regarding immigration will get even more attention in this election period.

The Conservative party is set to declare a limit on the amount of visas granted annually with the aim of decreasing migration rates. Prior to presenting the figure to Members of Parliament for approval, it will be suggested by the advisory group for migration.

The leader of the Labour Party, Starmer, will emphasize the importance of national security by declaring that his party will decrease UK's dependence on foreign fossil fuels. He aims to prevent Russia and its president, Putin, from having influence over us.

He will announce on Tuesday that his political party's strategy to establish GB Energy, a clean energy company that is publicly owned, will safeguard the UK from escalating fuel prices like the ones experienced after Russia's takeover of Ukraine.

It was anticipated that Farage would make a decision between competing in Clacton or Thanet East situated in Kent. Thanet East encompasses the majority of the previous constituency where Farage attempted to obtain a seat in Parliament twice, once in 2005 and again in 2015, however, he was unsuccessful.

Reform UK seems to have a better chance in Clacton, despite the fact that the current Tory candidate, Giles Watling, supported the remain campaign and holds a significant majority of 24,702.

In a recent statement, Farage proposed that Reform UK might secure a greater number of votes than Ukip's 3.9 million that they obtained during the 2015 general election. He further added that there was a possibility of winning a few seats, but he also admitted that obtaining those seats would be challenging without proportional representation.

Reform UK desires to woo voters from the right-wing of the Conservative party, resulting in dividing the votes in few constituencies and opening the way for Labour to emerge victorious.

Farage criticized the Tory party, stating that they are divided on their policies and don't have a clear stance at the moment. He expressed that the goal for his party in the upcoming election is to acquire a significant amount of votes, surpassing the amount Ukip received in 2015.

The comeback of the fierce right-wing politician, who has good relations with the US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump, to the forefront of politics might disturb even the moderate Conservatives. Farage hinted that he will run a campaign highlighting on immigration and referred to the upcoming election as the "immigration election".

Conservative Members of Parliament cautioned that an increase in support for Reform UK could prompt the party to adopt a more extreme stance in order to regain popularity, including a stronger stance on their proposal for Rwanda and even a commitment to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights.

One candidate stated that this move could potentially increase the chances of including a foolish, complete ‘exit from the ECHR policy’ in our manifesto. This proposal may appeal to some people but it may also be unappealing to others. As a party, we must maintain our appeal to both sides.

They were pessimistic about how much Reform would help the Tories win the election. They believed that it would only reinforce the negative outcomes of Reform and make it difficult for the Tories to make significant progress towards improving their position.

Someone else commented that Farage's choice was a significant setback for Sunak. It is expected that Farage will affect both campaigns, although the Conservative party will likely be impacted more. Reform was initially targeting the edges of the Conservative vote, but they will likely make a larger impact now.

It further strengthened the belief of some members of the Conservative Party that Sunak made an error by scheduling the election for July 4th instead of the fall season, where Farage was expected to be present in the United States, supporting Trump's campaign.

A member of the Tory party has stated that the Prime Minister's choice was extremely foolish and evidently senseless. The primary focus for the Tories is to ensure stability and boost the economy, yet the decision to hold an election prior to anyone realizing it goes against this mentality.

"I don't understand it at all. Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden argued that things will worsen, but I don't see any evidence to support his claim. Can someone please explain it to me?"

With the former leader of the Brexit party coming back, the chance for displeased ex-Tory contributors to donate money has also arisen. Farage has stated that the party has received a considerable amount of funds since last week.

The Reform UK press conference was attended by a group of people, among them Nick Candy - a property developer who has given a substantial amount of money to the Conservatives in the past, and Charlie Mullins - the founder of Pimlico Plumbers.

The newly appointed leader of Reform UK avoided answering queries regarding the possibility of his party's members being sidelined by a behind-the-scenes agreement that led to Tice's replacement. He stated that difficult decisions must be made at times.