THE leader of Reform UK has announced he will resign as a member of parliament.

In a televised announcement, Nigel Farage, the member of Parliament for Clacton has confirmed he is set to stand down in order to force a by-election he will stand as a candidate in.

He will remain the leader of Reform UK, a political party which has 21 councillors at Cornwall Council.

Mr Farage’s announcement comes amid recent news stories about the sources and intentions of significant donations and gifts he has received both before and during his time as a member of parliament, some of which are currently being investigated by the parliamentary commissioner for standards.

Nigel Farage Cornwall Event
Nigel Farage met with 60 of Reform UK's Cornwall election candidates (James Davies)

It is understood that these investigations would continue if Mr Farage is re-elected in the by-election.

Mr Farage made a number of claims related to ‘harassment’ by national media titles and ‘the establishment’, allegations that they have denied.

He said that by resigning and forcing a by-election, he is seeking a fresh endorsement from the electorate in the constituency he is a member of parliament for.

Mr Farage’s decision to resign in order to force a by-election that he plans to stand in has echoes of a similar move made by a veteran Conservative MP in 2008.

David Davis, presently the Conservative member of parliament for Goole and Pocklington dramatically announced his resignation as a shadow cabinet member and MP in order to ‘cause a wider debate’ on the single issue of what he perceived to be an erosion of civil liberties.

His resignation came a day after the then-Labour government narrowly passed a parliamentary vote on the Counter-Terrorism Bill, which would extend the limit on the amount of time suspected terrorists could be held without charge from 28 days to 42 days.

Mr Davis won that vote by an increased majority, aided by the Liberal Democrats and Labour parties not standing candidates against him.