Nigel Farage tries to ‘take back control’

Nigel Farage tries to ‘take back control’

Author: Financial Times July 7, 2026 Duration: 16:52

Has Nigel Farage played his trump card by announcing that he will resign as MP for Clacton and fight a by-election there, or will the move backfire? After mounting pressure over donations from wealthy backers, he insisted he has “done nothing wrong” and that he would fight “the establishment” to retake the seat for Reform UK. But it might not be the contest he anticipated. In this breaking news episode, deputy opinion editor Miranda Green is joined by chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley and UK political editor George Parker to examine what the move means for Reform, the scrutiny of Farage’s finances and the future of his political career.


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Farage struggles to be ringmaster of his own circus


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Presented by Miranda Green. Produced by Persis Love. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Audio mix and original music by Breen Turner. The FT’s global head of audio is Flo Phillips.


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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com


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