Nigel Farage announces UK election candidacy in surprise U-turn
Al Jazeera
Farage, who previously said he would not stand in the election, says he will lead the anti-immigration Reform UK party.
Nigel Farage, the politician who helped champion Britain’s departure from the European Union, has said he will stand as a candidate in next month’s election for the right-wing Reform UK party in a blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Farage, 60, had previously said he would not stand in the July 4 vote in order to help his friend Donald Trump campaign for the US election later this year.
He said he will run for the anti-immigration party in a Eurosceptic seat in southeast England and also return as the party leader.
“I’ve decided I’ve changed my mind,” Farage told a news conference. “It’s not always a sign of weakness; it could potentially be a sign of strength.”
Reporting from London, where Farage gave a press conference to announce his candidacy, Al Jazeera’s Charlie Angela said Farage’s decision would likely boost Reform UK’s chances in the vote.
