Nigel Farage vows to be ‘nuisance’ in Parliament and says Tories are ‘completed’

Nigel Farage has urged voters to send him to Parliament to be a “bloody nuisance” – claiming the Tories are “finished”.

The Reform UK leader, who is standing to be an MP in Clacton, Essex, declared that the election is “over” and Keir Starmer will be PM after July 4. He lambasted the Tories who he claimed had “betrayed” voters’ trust and said they won’t be an effective opposition.

Launching his campaign – his eighth attempt at getting a seat in Parliament – he told a crowd in the seaside town: “This election effectively is over. The breach of trust from the Conservatives means that they’re finished, they’re done. We are going to get a Labour government, whether you like it or not.”

He continued: “The question is who is going to be the voice of opposition? I want Reform UK, with me at the helm, to be in Parliament and I promise you I’ll liven it up a lot from what it currently is.”

The former UKIP leader urged supporters: “Send me to Parliament to be a bloody nuisance.” His decision to take over as leader from Richard Tice and to stand as an MP has sent a chill through Tory ranks.

Mr Farage – who cut a deal with Boris Johnson at the last election to help preserve Conservative seats – signalled that he will not hold back this time. He told a cheering audience: “They opened up the borders to mass immigration like we’ve never seen before. And they deserve to pay a price for that. ” He went on to brand Clacton “the most patriotic town” in the country.

Bookmakers have already predicted that Mr Farage will finally be successful. Ladbrokes made him 4/9 favourite, with Jessica O’Reilly, from the betting firm, saying: “Farage has always been the bridesmaid, never the bride, but it looks like he’ll finally get to walk down the aisle in the Commons this year at last, fulfilling his lifelong dream of becoming an MP.”

Moments before Mr Farage took to the podium in Clacton, former I’m A Celeb contestant Fred Sirieix delivered a scathing put-down of the politician. Mr Sirieix wrote: “I spoke at length and extensively with Nigel Farage for 3 weeks while in the jungle. I wanted to make my own mind up about him and his views. Conclusion is simple. He was very good at washing the dishes in the river but when it comes to politics he has no plan and no substance.”

And in a further post on Twitter/X, the First Dates host wrote: “No vision. No concrete policies. He is not interested in making the UK/the world a better place. He just rants.”

Mr Farage announced he was taking over as leader of the right-wing party from Richard Tice yesterday. He said immigration should be the central issue of the election and announced he’d stand in Clacton in Essex.

That was despite previously having suggested he wouldn’t want to spend his Fridays there on constituency duty if he was elected. Speaking to Good Morning Britain today, Mr Farage said: “I don’t want to join the Conservative Party, I think the better thing to do would be to take it over.”

News that Mr Farage is back in the mix is a body blow to Rishi Sunak, and follows a mega-poll suggesting the Tories could be reduced to just 140 seats on July 4.

The YouGov poll suggests Labour would secure a majority of 194 – a historic wipeout and the second largest majority ever, surpassing Tony Blair’s achievements in 1997.

Home Secretary James Cleverly tried to play down the danger Mr Farage poses his party. “The last time I heard him make reference to Clacton, he was saying that he didn’t want to spend every Friday in Clacton,” Mr Cleverly told Sky News.

“Reform has always been a vehicle for Nigel Farage’s self-promotion, I think Richard Tice is now discovering that rather painfully.”