Nigel Farage dwell: Reform UK chief formally resigns ‘to spend summer time arguing with a bin’

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 Parliament’s sleaze watchdog.

Asked if he’d 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.”