LONDON — Reform UK has accused Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch of “running scared” after she criticised Nigel Farage for resigning as MP for Clacton, triggering a snap by-election.
The clash unfolded this week after Farage, leader of the right-wing populist Reform UK, announced on Tuesday that he would step down as Member of Parliament for Clacton. He said the decision was driven by mounting scrutiny of his financial affairs and insisted it should be voters in Clacton, not Westminster or the media, who decide his political future.
Speaking at a live Politico event, Badenoch took aim at Farage’s move, arguing that all MPs must be held to the same standards of accountability.
“He went on telly having a hissy fit because for the first time, he is finally having to face some scrutiny after a very long honeymoon and he cannot handle it,” Badenoch said.
“All of us MPs have to register our donations, we have to register our gifts, nobody is above the law. He decides that he doesn’t want to do what everyone else has to do, that he is better than everybody, and now there’s an investigation.”
Responding in an interview with GB News, Reform UK Chairman Lee Anderson dismissed Badenoch’s criticism and claimed the Conservatives were avoiding a contest they expected to lose.
“I think this just proves that the Tories are running scared,” Anderson said. “They know they will probably lose their deposit in Clacton, they had a poor showing last time. Bear in mind this should have been and was a safe Tory seat, and I think Nigel had one of the biggest swings at the last general election. I think Kemi is running scared.”
Reform UK has confirmed it will not field a candidate in the upcoming by-election, describing it as a “fake” contest.
Anderson also defended Farage against what he called sustained attacks from political opponents and the media.
“There’s a fine line between the upset that Nigel felt over the past few days, few weeks and that’s sort of boiled over into a little bit of anger as well, when the mainstream media start targeting your family, they crossed the line,” he said.
“All of Westminster has been against Nigel since day one, that’s increased over the past two years. It’s got to a point now where Nigel’s said it’s not up to Westminster, it’s not up to the mainstream media to decide on what his fate is. It’s up to the people of Clacton, and I’m sure they will turn out in thousands to re-elect Nigel at the next by election.
Anderson warned that if a second by-election were needed later — for example, if Farage were found guilty in an ongoing financial investigation — it would further damage public trust in Parliament.
“If there is a second by-election that will make a complete mockery of Westminster,” he said. “It is a bit of a laughing stock at the moment. I go there every day and the public are getting more and more fed up with that place. So this is a chance for the people of Clacton to decide who they want as their member of Parliament. It’s not up to that place, it’s up to the people of Clacton, let them decide.”
He said the by-election could take place within weeks, pending approval from the Treasury.
“Hopefully I can move the writ tomorrow in the Commons, that’s up to the Treasury, that’s up to Rachel Reeves,” Anderson told GB News. “The letter’s been sent in and we’ve had confirmation. And I know Nigel spoke to the Treasury within the last hour. Hopefully I can move that writ tomorrow if they come back to us, and then we’re looking at the first couple of weeks in August.”
In an unusual move, Anderson pledged that Reform UK would cover the cost of the by-election, which is estimated at around £230,000.
“We will cover the cost of the by-election; we will send a cheque to the Treasury, simple as that,” he said.
“The by-election will be run by the local council in Clacton, they’ll have to pay for it, and then they normally claim the money back from the Treasury, from the Government. And we will make an offer to reimburse the Treasury the full cost of the by-election, we couldn’t be fairer than that.”
Clacton has been a focal point in recent UK politics. Once considered a safe Conservative seat, it saw a major swing toward Reform UK in the last general election, with Farage securing a significant victory margin.
The resignation now forces voters back to the polls to decide whether to return Farage to Parliament amid the scrutiny over his finances. Badenoch’s criticism reflects broader Conservative concerns about Reform UK’s growing influence, particularly in traditional Tory heartlands.
For Reform UK, the by-election is being framed as a test of democratic choice versus “Westminster interference.” For the Conservatives, it is another moment of pressure as they try to hold ground against a resurgent populist movement
The timing of the vote will be confirmed once the Treasury issues the writ. Until then, both parties are expected to intensify campaigning in Clacton, where the result could signal the direction of British politics ahead of the next national election.
Anderson concluded: “This isn’t about parties. This is about whether the people get to choose their MP, or whether Westminster and the media choose for them.