How much does a by-election cost to implement? Who pays for it? If the sitting MP no longer wants to represent his constituency why would he stand for re-election unless this is some sort of vanity project?
Give 'em what they want, thatās his motto.
Heās as guilty a sin, but heās sidestepped the process, like a matador with a bullā¦ OlĆ©. Itāll be like Hitler returning from Landsbergā¦
Theyāll be lining the streets 
They have just said on PM that the investigation would be paused and if he was reelected it would be restarted.
Curiouser and curiouser.
So the worst impact of the investigation would be having to contest his seat again. He jumps ship and stands before the findings are arrived at. If he wins and is censored there would be another by-election.
It could be a busy time for Clacton voters.
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Is Farage perhaps thinking/hoping he can reset the clock on when he became an MP? Thereby putting the donations/gifts in question outside of the 12 month window for declaration?
The pundits donāt think that will work, but itās true that he could be trying it on. Reform get things wrong quite often.
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Around a quarter of a million quid, and the money comes out of public funds (though Reform have offered to pay for it).
IMHO Farage should not be allowed to stand as a candidate if he has just resigned as an MP - itās a farcical loophole.
But this comment from one of his constituents sums it up quite well I think:
āIām absolutely gutted. I thought he was going to run the country and everything was going to be lovely. Donāt know what to say other than that.ā
Probably an indication of the level of political acumen prevalent in Clacton.
Itās possible that the other parties will simply boycott the election and let him stand unopposed, thus taking the wind out of his sails.
That would be a good one. If tactical voting happens then itās just another reason for him to whinge about being picked on.
Itās an idea, but I canāt see Badenoch agreeing to it, and I think it would be as disrespectful to voters as what Farage is doing.
OK Tories vs Reform, let them fight it out. If other parties are not present it would be a meaningless result.
There is precedent for a boycott:
The 2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election which Conservative David Davis forced in order to spark a debate about civil liberties went ignored by Labour and the Liberal Democrats.
Among the other parties which sat that by-election out was UKIP, then led by a certain Nigel Farage.
Labour should step aside and let the Greens fight the seat. That removes any trickery of the title establishment (which Farage is). Tories can stay in the fight or not, itāll make no difference.
I hope Count Binface stands - and wins! 
Perhaps all the other parties could back him as a consensus candidate. 
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The whole Westminster āproceduralā nonsense is one of the reasons the voting public are so fed up with politics and politicians. Just how many investigations need to be carried out to ascertain if Farage has not complied with the rules and why do they take so long?
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Because, you know, innocent until proven guilty and all that - even for the likes of Farage.
Because the investigation is carried out by an independent commission, then the committee deliberate etc etc
I have no doubt the process could be sharpened up.
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In some ways the ideal repost to this would be for no other party to field a candidate - then Farage could not claim that he had demonstrated majority support in the constituency.
Iāve seen that suggestion, yes, but as @Jennifer11 said most do not think that will fly.
He could take a leaf out of Sinn FĆ©inās playbook and not take his seat, of course.
Anyway, I was wrong: the Tories wonāt have a candidate.
Theyāre waiting for the ārealā by-election which will follow the Standards Committee report.
Where did you see that, Porridge?
Daily Telegraph!
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Oh right, thank you.
Mrs Badenoch said: āWe will be standing a candidate in the real by-election, which will follow the standards investigation into Nigel Farageās fishy finances.
āWe will not be standing a candidate in the fake by-election that Farage is causing to distract people from what is happening. We need to let that investigation run its course, and I think the reason why Nigel Farage has resigned is because heās terrified that heās going to be found to have done something wrong.ā
Somethingās gone terribly wrong, I agree with KB. 
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