Farage has resigned as an MP for Clacton?

JennyCee

But Clacton won’t be able to choose will they??? none of the other parties are going to put candidates up for the election.
Poor people from Clacton aren’t going to be allowed to have a choice - VERY democratic I don’t think!!

The entire by-election isn’t democratic, the “poor people of Clacton” happily voted him in two years ago, they would have had another chance to change their vote or indeed vote for him again at the next GE, just like the rest of us.

This is by-election is a complete farce.

My guess, all those who voted for Farage last time will come out in their droves and vote for him again and a couple of those who didn’t vote for him might vote for Binface.

Actually they do have a choice, vote for Farage, vote for Binman, don’t vote at all!

Hounded by the left wing ⁰press, i hope Burnham bankrupt the country

People of Clacton chose Farage and this is the kind of stunt he likes to pull. They will have a choice, they could vote for Count Binface, or any other candidate which would like to put themselves for ward.

It strikes me that Farage's refusal to be open to scrutiny is the undemocratic element here. Elected by and paid for by 'the people' and he refuses to follow the rules and principles which belong to the role.

Clacton will probably get another chance in the Autumn, though.

jakuss

Hounded by the left wing ⁰press, i hope Burnham bankrupt the country

Since when have the Times and the Telegraph been 'left wing'?

The role of the press is to hold public servants to account, not kow tow to them.

Vote Binface!

Which press is left wing? Maybe the Guardian , but all the press have had the knives out for Labour.

MaizieD

jakuss

Hounded by the left wing ⁰press, i hope Burnham bankrupt the country

Since when have the Times and the Telegraph been 'left wing'?

The role of the press is to hold public servants to account, not kow tow to them.

That really takes the biscuit 🍪🍪 😂

Both the Times and the Telegraph traditionally right wing papers- now commenting on Farage's stunt. Farage has a contract with GB news and Daily Mail so they are not impartial and are somewhat tied by their mutually beneficial finnacial relationship with Farage.

Farage must hate the fact that he's had an easy ride from the right wing press to date and that is now changing.He must also hate the facts that his poll ratings have started to fall now AB is in the mix.

Finally the right wing press are doing what they are there to do- hold public servants like Farage to account.

jakuss

Hounded by the left wing ⁰press, i hope Burnham bankrupt the country

????? What a strange comment! Which left wing press might that be?

The Guardian is the real only left leaning paper or maybe The Mirror.

The Lib Dems are asking the government not to grant Farage the Chiltern Hundreds (or similar technicality) to allow hIm to cease being an MP until the parliamentary investigations into his finances are complete. Farage is attempting a distraction from these investigations.

Lemonjam Farage owns a sizeable chunk of GB News

jakuss

Hounded by the left wing ⁰press, i hope Burnham bankrupt the country

You jest of course.

jakuss

Hounded by the left wing ⁰press, i hope Burnham bankrupt the country

As you hope our fine Country will be “bankrupt” by AB, one can assume you don’t live here?

I would never ever hope any political party running our country (or indeed any other country) to be “bankrupt.

Romola

The Lib Dems are asking the government not to grant Farage the Chiltern Hundreds (or similar technicality) to allow hIm to cease being an MP until the parliamentary investigations into his finances are complete. Farage is attempting a distraction from these investigations.

I think the final decision lies with the Chancellor.

Cossy

Lemonjam Farage owns a sizeable chunk of GB News

^AI Overview
Nigel Farage owns a minority shareholding of 500,000 shares in GB News, which equates to significantly less than 1% of the company's total voting stock. ^

Cossy

Lemonjam Farage owns a sizeable chunk of GB News

👍 even more biased then!

Whatever the size of Farage's share holding in GP news- it's still a partnership that is mutually beneficial. GB news pays Farage a large £sum and he is also a helpful conduit for GB news expanding its broadcasting reach into the $$$ US. Yet another example of business and money driven motivation demonstrated by Farage.

GB News is not profitable, I don’t think it’s on the stock market? His influence comes through his presenter role, where he appears to be given free rein.

“fancythat

Cossy
Lemonjam Farage owns a sizeable chunk of GB News
^AI Overview
Nigel Farage owns a minority shareholding of 500,000 shares in GB News, which equates to significantly less than 1% of the company's total voting stock.”

I stand corrected, I actually thought he’d bought more stock recently.

Having said that, I don’t consider it in any way right that any MP has any shares or voting rights on a platform which reaches voters and on which he has pretty much freedom to say and do whatever he likes.

I think Farage should stick to social media platforms that are available to all and any serving MPs.

Again, apologies for stating he owned a sizeable chunk.

Casdon

GB News is not profitable, I don’t think it’s on the stock market? His influence comes through his presenter role, where he appears to be given free rein.

It’s very interesting quite how unprofitable GB news actually is!

Yet, and I may be wrong, Farage has a annual contract with them worth around £1m

jakuss

Hounded by the left wing ⁰press, i hope Burnham bankrupt the country

What does that mean please?

I understand GB news currently pays Nigel Farage around £97k, nearly £98,000 per month for 32 hours a week according to what Farage has actually more recently declared on his UK Parliamentary Register of Member's Financial Interest? The arrangement is that Farage is a contractor so it is somewhat opaque, apart from what he chooses to declare and Frage is not regular in his declarations or robust as previous investigations have found.

Farage has his GB news payment made to his private firm "Thorn in the Side Ltd" so he can withdraw the GB news payments money as dividends to significantly reduce the amount of tax payable. I" m not saying that is not legal btw just reflects his values as a public servant.

GB news is a fairy new broadcaster, inception 2020? It is owned jointly by a hedge fund manager and Dubai based investment firm Legatum under the umbrella of a holding company, All Perspectives Ltd according to Wikipedia. Marshall holds a significant share holding and provides significant injections of cash to keep it afloat until it can make a profit.

I am sure the plan is to get to the stage of making a profit as well as increasing political reach and influence by having a contract of services with a party leader such as Farage.

Whether frames arrangement is democratically healthy - well no- or at least not corrupt, is open to debate.

Between July 2024 and June 2026, again according to wikipedia GB News paid £1 million to Reform MPs, including £700,000 to Farage. I wonder why?

What the actual figures are (if can be isolated in GB news holding company accounts) and whether the £700,000 amount paid to Farage matches up with Farage's declarations UK Parliamentary Register of Member's Financial Interest?- is an interesting question.

Does any one know? I'm sure now right wing newspapers like The Telegraph and The Times are altering their easy ride stance towards Farage they will be on the case in due course no doubt.

Do you think Farage is playing a double bluff game and actually wants to lose this by-election?

Farage is not leadership material, He doesn't want the responsibility of leading a party, especially one that is becoming a serious player. He enjoys being a disruptive influence, of causing rows where ever he goes, tumbling apple carts, being the bull in the china shop.

It is clear that he cannot be bothered to be a proper constituency MP, he may actually want a way out, but being him, he doesn't want to resign and withdraw, he wants to resign and cause as much inconvenience as he can.

He must have realised that the chances are that no respectable party would stand against him and that he may end up with no opponents, but the lunatic fringe. What I do not think he was prepared for was that one of the people behind a lunatic fringe candidate would be a highly educated and thoughtful man with a manifesto of sensible policies.

I think that there is a good chance he could lose, if only binman runs a serious campaign.

If he loses will they still investigate him for the 5 million?