Nigel Farage has announced he will stand as a candidate in Clacton for Reform UK in the general election on 4 July.
Mr Farage had said last week that he would not stand, instead promising to help Richard Tice’s party in its campaign.
But speaking at a press conference on Monday, he announced the U-turn and confirmed he would take over from Mr Tice as leader of Reform UK for at least the next five years.
Politics live: Farage to stand and take over as Reform leader
Mr Farage claimed he had a “terrible sense of guilt” for not putting himself forward after speaking to people during the campaign, saying he felt he was “letting them down”.
“I can’t turn my back on the people’s army,” he added. “I can’t turn my back on those millions of people who followed me, believed in me despite the horrendous things that were being said about me.”
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There have been questions hanging over what role Mr Farage would play in the election, whether that be as a candidate to stand against the Tories or whether he could broker an election pact with Rishi Sunak.
Earlier, Mr Sunak downplayed the impact Mr Farage could have if he chose to stand as an election candidate, telling reporters: “One of two people will be prime minister – either Keir Starmer or me.
“A vote for anyone who’s not a Conservative candidate is just a vote to put Keir Starmer in Number 10.”
The other candidates standing in Clacton are:
Matthew Bensilum, Liberal Democrats
Natasha Osben, Green Party
Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, Labour Party
Giles Watling, Conservatives
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