Nigel Farage has forced a by-election in Clacton-on-Sea over his undeclared £5 million gift, is it the masterstroke of a political genius or the desperate move of a man on the run?
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For two months, journalists and parliamentary officials have been scrutinising Nigel Farage's personal finances after it was revealed he had received a multi-million pound gift from a cryptocurrency billionaire.
In a livestream, he snapped and accused "the establishment" of an unfair pile-on. And in an attempt to turn the tables, he resigned to force a by-election in his Essex constituency, inviting voters to "stick two fingers up" to his opponents by re-electing him.
Resigning now puts a halt to the inquiry that could have seen Farage suspended for failing to declare the gift. It forces a by-election now, before the truth has been established about that money and any other gifts or donations, such as those revealed at the weekend from a convicted fraudster.
But if re-elected, the standards inquiry resumes and another by-election could be forced anyway.
Other political parties are saying they won't indulge this contest and declining to stand against him as it looks like the only serious opposition Farage faces could come from Count Binface.
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