Nigel Farage To Run For Parliament As Reform UK Leader

Nigel Farage has announced he has taken over as Reform leader and will run as a candidate at the 4 July general election.

Farage at a press conference in London on Monday said he had agreed to take over the role of leader from Richard Tice. He then said he would run as a candidate in Clacton, which according to recent polling he is in a strong position to win. The seat is being defended by Conservative candidate Giles Watling.

Farage, the former UKIP leader, had previously ruled out standing at next month's election after he claimed six weeks was not enough time for him to campaign and win a seat. 

However, he said today he felt he would be letting "millions" of voters down if he did not change his mind and run to win a seat in the House of Commons.

"I can't let down those millions of people. I simply can't do it. It'd be wrong. So I have decided I've changed my mind.

"It's not always a sign of weakness. It could potentially be a sign of strength. So I am going to stand in this election. I'll be launching my candidacy at midday tomorrow in the Essex seaside town of Clacton."

Farage said he was leading a "political revolt" against the Westminster system. 

"Something is happening out there."

Reform's polling has steadily improved in recent months under the leadership of Tice, and Farage's announcement on Monday will further fuel concern among Conservative candidates that they face a heavy defeat at the next election.

A YouGov survey published on Monday said Labour was on course for a 194-seat majority — which would be bigger than what former Labour prime minister Tony Blair achieved at his 1997 general election landslide. A seperate MRP poll conducted by More in Common by showed Labour was heading for a smaller, but still sizeable,