Nigel Farage, the pro-Brexit activist and serial disruptor of British politics, announced on Monday his plans to run in next month’s British general election, dealing a new blow to the prospects of the country’s embattled prime minister. , Rishi Sunak.
The surprise announcement by Farage, who represents a far-right insurgent movement, threatens to disrupt an election campaign by taking votes away from Britain’s ruling Conservative Party. In doing so, it could make it even harder for Sunak and his party to close a double-digit gap in the polls with the opposition Labor Party.
Divisive, charismatic and famous for his communication skills, Farage was one of the architects of Brexit, which a small majority of Britons supported in a 2016 referendum. Some analysts thought his earlier decision not to stand in the election had undermined the momentum. of Reform UK, the successor to the Brexit Party he once led.
Farage said last month that he would not seek a parliamentary seat because he wanted to prioritize supporting Donald J. Trump’s election campaign in the US. Farage is a longtime ally of the former president and campaigned for him in 2020.
But on Monday, Farage reversed his earlier decision and said he would take over as leader of Reform UK and run for a seat in Parliament.
“I’ve changed my mind, you’re allowed to know that,” he said. “I’m going to stand in this election,” and he added that he would stand in Clacton-on-Sea, a coastal area where support for Brexit has been strong.
The announcement comes on the eve of one of the biggest events of the British general election campaign so far: a televised debate between Sunak and Keir Starmer, the leader of the opposition Labor Party.
With his Conservative Party trailing badly in opinion polls, and after an accident-prone start to the general election campaign, Sunak is already under significant pressure.
Farage’s change of heart could worsen the prime minister’s prospects because, analysts say, Reform UK threatens to take a significant number of votes away from the Conservatives.