Nigel Farage recap: Reform UK leader officially resigns 'to spend summer arguing with a bin'

Still curious about Nigel Farage's resignation? Mirror political correspondant Sophie Huskisson and Alex Brown, our assistant politics editor, have put together a handy guide explaining everything you need to know.

Iceland boss Richard Walker has extended an invited to Count Binface as he prepares to contest the election in Clacton.

Mr Walker invited the candidate to the town's store, to "talk about the local issues that really matter. He said in a social media post: Youve promised Clacton at least one affordable house. We specialise in affordable family meals and emergency election snacks, so we have common ground.

[2_Anti-Farage-Protest-As-The-Reform-Leader-Resigns-As-MP-For-Clacton-London-England-United-Kingdom.jpg]

(Image: Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)

A key potential rival to Andy Burnham's Labour leadership bid has said he will not run against him, allowing the Makerfield MP to claim the party's top spot without opposition.

Al Carns, the former defence minister, initially did not back Burnham, saying he still needed convincing on Burnham. But today, he said during an interview with Sky's Cathy Newman, on her show of the same name: The time right now is not for a contest.

[Al Carns]

Al Carns will not challenge Andy Burnham(Image: NEIL HALL/EPA/Shutterstock)

Nigel Farage is taking a big risk. He's betting the people of Clacton love him so much they'll vote for him again, despite mounting allegations of rulebreaking and multiple standards probes.

But after visiting the seaside town yesterday, I'm not as confident as he appears to be that he'll be returned to Parliament on a wave of sympathy. I found at least as many people in Clacton who despised Farage as who would defend him through thick and thin in the admittedly limited sample available to me on a Tuesday afternoon. And for many of those on his side, their loyalty seemed subject to review.

[I went to Clacton and Nigel Farage might have taken a bigger gamble than he thinks]

OPINION

Reform confirmed this afternoon that it was "moving the writ", a Parliamentary procedure that triggers the process for a by-election.

The writ, however, only triggers the process for the proceedings, and while Reform said it hoped the poll would fall on August 6, it is not up to them. The true date of the poll will come further down the line, and be confirmed by the local council.

Andy Burnham has posted on social media this evening about his "definition of success", and in confirmed how he would measure is upcoming presumed tenure as Prime Minister.

He wrote: "My definition of success is a clear majority of the people, more than right now, feeling hopeful about the future. I think weve lived through a decade where life has just got that bit harder year on year, and consequently people feel a little pessimistic about their prospects.

"So if we could change that, and make more people feel hopeful about the future, that would be a really great thing."

[2_Britain-Politics-26180405220479.jpg]

Andy Burnham is set to replace Keir Starmer as PM this month(Image: AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Serial byelection candidate and self-proclaimed "independent space warrior" Count Binface appears to be taking a very real run at the Clacton race.

He has launched a Ko-Fi donation page to raise money for his campaign from people willing to put down 3 a pop - and has now raised 15,000. He said he wants to "keep fighting the intergalactic fight" in a statement on the page, and included a little jab at Farage.

He wrote: "Unlike some politicians with their 5million war chests (and ITV detective series back-catalogues), Im an entirely independent space warrior.

"I donated all profits from my London mayor campaign to charity, but Id love to be able to keep fighting the intergalactic fight. Any amount of support is hugely appreciated. Ive got lots of plans for future endeavours. Watch this hyperspace!"

[2_Makerfield-By-election-Count-And-Declaration.jpg]

Count Binface could come in second in the by-election(Image: Getty Images)

The Mirror's Political Editor Lizzy Buchan writes in from the Nato summit...Keir Starmer said Nigel Farage had run into a cul-de-sac as his by-election plan has left him exposed as a complete charlatan.

Speaking to reporters at the Nato summit, Mr Starmer said: He's been utterly exposed over the last 24 hours with this desperate measure.

We know why he's done it. He's absolutely up to his neck in sleaze.

He doesn't want to answer questions from any of you or in Parliament, because he can't answer those questions. He runs away from those questions, but he's run into a cul-de-sac.

He's run absolutely nowhere, because he's now utterly exposed, and it's right, I think, that all the major parties are not running candidates, and as I say, he's been, I think, utterly exposed by this as a complete charlatan.

The PM said Labour should stand a candidate if Nigel Farage is forced into a second by-election by Parliaments sleaze watchdog.

Asked if hed endorse Count Binface, he said: I think it's actually against Labour Party rules to endorse another..Poor old binface - I gave him a bit of a doing over at PMQs last week, so I better not go any further down that road.

Andrew Bailey has confirmed in a letter today that Farage "made his views very clear" on cryptocurrencies during a meeting at the Bank of England last year.

Confirming that she would accept Farage's request to be appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead - a required appointment for every resigning MP - she said she accepted so he could "spend the summer arguing with a bin".

She wrote on social media: "I will accept Nigel Farages request to be appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead. It is a farce and a desperate distraction, and the people of Clacton deserve better. But if he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I wont stop him."

The "bin" in question is Count Binface, the ever-present independent campaigner who also faced-off against Andy Burnham in Makerfield and Boris Johnson in Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

[0_GettyImages-2149547442.jpg]

London mayoral candidate Count Binface poses for a photo on College Green beside the Palace of Westminster in London on April 25, 2024. (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP) (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL/AFP via Getty Images)

US President Donald Trump did not raise concerns over UK defence spending with Keir Starmer at the Nato summit.

The Prime Minister has said the pair had no discussion over the matter when they met in Turkey.

The PM said: Let me just share with you the closing words of President Trump, because as Mark Rutte closed the meeting, he turned back to Donald Trump, who thanked everybody there for the spirit of the meeting and the unity of the meeting.

Mark Rutte thanked us particularly for the Dip further investment, and I had no discussion with Donald Trump in which he made any issue with me in relation to the defence spending for the United Kingdom.

[0_2026-NATO-Leaders-Summit-In-Ankara.jpg]

World leaders gathered in the Turkish capital(Image: Getty Images)

The Ministry of Justice has issued a statement following the conditional pardon for Ruth Ellis.

David Lammy confirmed during PMQs that the King has confirmed the government's advice to grant a conditional pardon posthumously.

The application for a pardon was brought by four of Ruth Elliss grandchildren, the MOJ said this afternoon. The application presented that her responsibility was profoundly shaped by domestic abuse, trauma and circumstances that were never properly recognised at her trial.

Under modern law, it is possible that Ruth Ellis could have argued the partial defences of loss of control or diminished responsibility applied to her defences that might have reduced her conviction from murder to manslaughter, and which could have been considered by a jury had the case been heard today.

As the last woman to be hanged in the United Kingdom, Ruth Elliss sentence is an exceptional case and replacing it with one of life imprisonment takes into account the historic injustice of the death penalty in this particular instance. The government hopes todays decision brings a measure of peace to her family.

[0_Ruth-Ellis-pardon.jpg]

Ruth Ellis' grandchildren have welcomed the news(Image: Annabel Lee-Ellis/PA Wire)

Nigel Farage has blamed a political party pile on for painting him like a crook.The Reform UK leader again stressed he has done nothing wrong this afternoon and he hit the campaign trail.

Number one, I have nothing to apologise for at all, he told broadcasters in Clacton. "I haven't broken the law in any way at all.

"It now would appear from the media pile on that I'm guilty of virtually everything. I'm being painted out to the people in this constituency, frankly, as being a crook.

"Well I'll tell you what, I don't think Sky News or anybody else should be my judge. I think the voters here in Clacton should have that opportunity.

"And as for the other parties, you know the Conservatives got over 30,000 votes here in 2019. They don't want to stand. Well, you know why? Because they'd lose and lose badly."

[0_Farage-Campaigns-In-Essex-After-Triggering-Clacton-By-Election.jpg]

Nigel Farage hit the streets today(Image: Getty Images)

Robert Jenrick wouldn't be welcome in the Count Binface Party - even if he wanted to join.

The novelty candidate said on X: "I can neither confirm nor deny that Robert Jenrick has asked to defect to the Count Binface Party."

But he went on: "I can confirm that the answer's no."

Nigel Farage has taken a big risk in forcing a by-election in Clacton.

He's got a lot of supporters - but it's getting harder to find fans who will defend him through thick, thin and months of turning their town into a circus.

After visiting the seaside town yesterday, I'm not as confident as he appears to be that he'll be returned to Parliament on a wave of sympathy.

Heres why their loyalty seemed subject to review.

[0_Farage-Campaigns-In-Essex-After-Triggering-Clacton-By-Election.jpg]

The waters look choppy for Nigel Farage(Image: Getty Images)

After dropping the bombshell yesterday afternoon that he would resign as an MP to trigger a by-election in Clacton-on-Sea, Nigel Farage has now been left with pretty much just one opponent - Count Binface. Major political parties have slammed Farage's move a 'farce', with many saying they will not be putting forward a candidate for the by-election. But that hasn't stopped Count Binface.

The satirical candidate has now been given a national platform after Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain all said they will not put candidates forward. But who is Count Binface? The Mirror has taken a peek behind the bin, to see who Farage is up against, and what his vision is for Clacton.

Behind galactic backdrops, and something that resmbles a costume from Dr Who to many, is Jonathan David Harvey - a British comedian, satirist and producer. He has worked on hits such as The Thick of It and Have I Got News For You. The passionate Spurs fan penned a book in 2023 titled 'A Fan for All Seasons: A Journey Through Life' about the loss of his older brother, and their connection through sport. Read our full profile on Count Binface below.

Meet real Count Binface - the comedian candidate hoping to beat establishment Nigel Farage in Clacton

[Count Binface speaks to reporters]

Would Binface get your vote?(Image: Getty Images)

Kemi Badenoch believes Count Binface is now the 'people's candidate' in Clacton.

The Tory leader told Sky News: The people of Clacton, and the Conservatives in particular, are very sensible. They will do what they know to be right. Its not for me to be getting involved in that.

Lets see what kind of campaign Count Binface runs, and who the establishment really is if its the people versus the establishment, I think Nigel Farage might be looking like the establishment, and Count Binface may be the people. So the whole thing is a farce.

[2_Makerfield-By-election-Count-And-Declaration.jpg]

Count Binface could come in second in the by-election(Image: Getty Images)

Martin Lewis is going to stick to saving people money - and not save Clacton from Nigel Farage.

He has taken to X to dismiss speculation that he could run as a unity candidate in the by-election

Its safe to say the TV money-saving guru isnt keen on standing, saying a month-long un-anesthetised root canal would be preferable to entering the race.

Labour MP Pam Cox asks the deputy prime minister about Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in the UK back in 1955 after being convicted for the murder of her abusive lover.

She had suffered physical, sexual, and emotional abuse at the hands of her partner, David Blakely.

She was arrested after shooting him, and was hanged three months later.

"Her case serves as a haunting reminder of a time when our justice system ignored the realities of domestic abuse and coercive control," Cox says.

In his response, David Lammy confirmed that the King accepted the government's advice to grant a conditional pardon posthumously.

"While the pardon does not claim she was innocent of killing David Blakely, it replaces the death penalty with a sentence of life imprisonment to recognise a profound injustice in this exceptional case," he said.

"We hope this brings a measure of peace to Ruth Ellis' family, who have carried the weight of what happened to her for over 70 years.

Read the full story here

[0_David-Blakely-and-Ruth-Ellis.jpg]

David Blakely was shot by Ruth Ellis(Image: Bettmann Archive)

Daisy Cooper asked the Government to postpone Nigel Farage's by-election and told MPs leave means leave.

The Lib Dem deputy leader asked the Chancellor to delay his resignation until the investigation into his conduct is complete.

Farage is being probed over an undeclared 5m gift from a crypto billionaire.

David Lammy responded: "It's the people vs establishment. A city trader, Putin-admiring professional politician who is pals with crypto billionaires... vs Count Binface.

Mirror Political Correspondent Sophie Huskisson here

David Lammy hit out at the Green Party after one of their councillors having called him and Dame Priti Patel coconuts.

Dr Ellie Chowns asks a question about faith in politics and calls for the Government to support a proportional representation voting system. Our politics needs fixing fast, she says. The broken, outdated first past the post system has clearly failed to deliver stable government.

Mr Lammy responds: I'm very pleased that she raises the issue of votes and democracies. But I've got to say this to the Greens: During the local elections, a green councillor in Lewisham described me and the shadow foreign secretary (Dame Priti Patel) as coconuts.

Her party looked the other way, kept their candidate in post and have rewarded that candidate with a council job. I'm not making this up. The cabinet member for healing. The Greens could start a healing process by stopping such racist language.

Hau-Yu Tam, a Green councillor in Lewisham, came under fire during the local elections amid claims she called Dame Priti and Mr Lammy conconuts - a racist term used to describe ethnic monitory people who are perceived to have sold out their cultural identity and acts like a white person. The Evening Standard reported she has since been handed a job in charge of community healing in Lewisham Council.

[2_Prime-Ministers-Questions.jpg]

David Lammy at the the House of Commons(Image: House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA Wire)

Deputy PM David Lammy is standing in at Prime Ministers Questions this afternoon.

Thats because Keir Starmer is at a NATO summit in Turkey.

A dozen countries, including the UK, are set to spend more than 37bn over the next 10 years on a new long-range missile to protect Europe, it has been announced.

[0_TURKEY-NATO-SUMMIT-DEFENCE.jpg]

Keir Starmer is at the summit at Bestepe Presidential Compound in Turkey(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Mirror Assistant Political Editor Alexander Brown here

Lib Dem Daisy Cooper jokes that Nigel Farage used to think "leave means leave", but now wants to leave the Commons for "another referendum on his behaviour".

She said: "It seems it seems his latest stunt is to leave this place just so that he can return as a fully fledged member after not just one referendum on his behavior, Mr. Speaker, but possibly two."

The Lib Dems are calling for a by-election to be blocked until the investigation into Mr Farage concludes.

Mr Lammy responded: "Everyone can see that the Reform leader is just trying to distract from the fact that he's up to his neck in sleze. He's got serious questions to answer and he can't run away from them. Labour isn't going to be part of this circus.

"I hear it's 'the people versus the establishment'. The city trader, Putin admiring professional politician who's pals with crypto billionaires versus Count BinFace."

Mirror Political Correspondent Sophie Huskisson here

Deputy PM David Lammy is standing in for Keir Starmer, who is in Ankara, Turkey, for the Nato summit - his final trip as Prime Minister.

In likely his last Deputy PMQs, Mr Lammy is up against Tory MP James Cleverly, who stands in for Kemi Badenoch. Mr Cleverly asks about Labours early release prison scheme.

The Deputy PM - who is also the Justice Secretary - is pretty furious at this question. Prisons overcrowding was one of the first crises Labour picked up when they won the 2024 general election. The Tories left jails space at record low levels, with free cells at fewer than 100 at one point.

He tells Mr Cleverly his attacks are rich coming from a Tory. They left a system with just 83 empty cells. That's what the justice secretary previous to me (Shabana Mahmood) inherited when she came into office. That's why we had to pass the sentencing scheme. He hasn't said what they would do now to fix the system.

Mr Cleverlys criticism relates to the Sentencing Act, which was passed by Labour earlier this year and will mean some prisoners serving time for some violent or sexual offences will become eligible for release halfway through their sentences, rather than serving the current tariff of two-thirds. Early release will depend on good behaviour in jails. Part of the Act will kick in from September, meaning some criminals who were already sentenced will be released earlier than a judge intended.

The issue is likely to get lots of attention as we approach September. PM-in-waiting Andy Burnham is understood to be alarmed over the plans and is considering changes to sentencing reforms.

Jeremy Corbyn has blasted Nigel Farage's claims that the by-election he has triggered in Clacton is a "people versus the establishment" vote.

In a scathing post on X, Corbyn wrote: "Nigel Farage is the epitome of the establishment. He makes millions at the expense of the poorest, while blaming the most vulnerable to protect his wealth and power.

"We cannot afford a society that feeds the expensive ego of Nigel Farage. Clacton deserves better."

Nigel Farage has earned just over 2 million from 'second jobs' since the election, according to Mirror analysis of the Register of Members Financial Interests.

That includes over 723,000 from GB News where he works as a presenter.

He's also earned over 685,000 as a brand ambassador for Direct Bullion, a gold trading company. That job involved just 16 hours of work, working out at a rate of nearly 43,000 an hour.

For most of this Parliament he has been the highest earning MP, but in the last couple of months he was overtaken by ex-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

You can see a full breakdown of the income he has declared here: