“I’m back!”

In a video released on 𝕏 this morning, the Brexiteer Nigel Farage indicated his takeover of the Reform UK party and signaled his intent to stand for election as an MP from the seaside town of Clacton..

“I’m standing as a candidate in this election,” Farage said. “I see our country going down the drain.”

Riffing off President Trump’s MAGA brand, Farage implored voters to help him “Make Britain Great Again!”

“What I intend to lead is a political revolt,” Farage remarked. “Nothing in this country works anymore. The health service doesn’t work. The roads don’t work. None of our public services are up to scratch. We are in decline. This will only be turned around with boldness.” 

Farage’s surprise bid looks set to deal a major setback to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Tories and to reinvigorate Reform UK, the successor to the Brexit Party he once championed.

A former Tory cabinet minister anonymously told the Telegraph that Farage standing for election is “bad news for both major parties, but sadly worse news for the Conservatives.”

Farage, whose video comes a day before a televised debate between Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer, is not yet guaranteed a spot in Parliament, though his choice to run in Clacton will surely help. Clacton sits approximately 80 miles north of London and is known for its pro-Brexit sentiment. 

Sunak responded on Monday by claiming a vote for Farage would act as nothing more than a de facto vote for the Labour Party. British voters will have the final say when they cast their ballots on July 4.