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Reform's Lee Anderson defends Farage’s move to quit as MP - to be re-elected

► Nigel Farage quit as an MP on Tuesday but then proceeded to announce he would stand for the very seat in Clacton that he is vacating. The Reform UK leader made the announcement as questions swirl around financial support he got from a convicted fraudster and as questions remain over a £5 million gift he got from crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne - that may lead to a parliamentary investigation. Chairman of Reform UK Lee Anderson, defended Farage's decision to quit, saying: “This is a chance for the people of Clacton to be the judge of Nigel Farage’s record and political integrity - not the mainstream media.” He added, "What Nigel does in his private life before he entered politics is completely up to him". Sir Keir Starmer has slammed Nigel Farage’s announcement as a “desperate stunt” by someone “up to his neck in sleaze”. “It’s obvious why he is doing it. He is up to his neck in sleaze. Politics should be about improving the lives of millions of people, not about personal gain, not about hiding dodgy donations, and I think the public will see this for exactly what it is,” Sir Keir said. In a statement amid growing controversy surrounding his finances and donations, Mr Farage said: "I've decided that the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions. "And that is why I will be putting my name forward to stand in this by-election. I will fight to win," he said in a statement livestreamed by Reform. Mr Farage’s move comes as pressure mounts on him around the financial support he received from a convicted fraudster and as questions persist around a £5million gift he got from crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne. #farage #politics ► Have you subscribed to 5 News?: http://bit.ly/5NewsSub ► Follow 5 News on Twitter to keep up to date with the latest news - https://twitter.com/5_News Message us on Facebook to share your opinion - https://www.facebook.com/c5News See our latest pictures and videos on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/c5news/ ► About 5 News: We bring you the stories that matter to you, from around the world and across the UK. 🎥 We post daily playlists with the biggest news of the day, interviews, special reports and investigations. 📺 Catch us on TV on Channel 5 every weekday 5-6pm 📱 Get in touch with us on WhatsApp at +44 7555 500 501 🎧 Listen to "How Did We Get Here? Explaining The News" wherever you get your podcasts: https://podfollow.com/how-did-we-get-here-explaining-the-news Our flagship, hour-long programme at 5pm is watched on Channel 5 by up to a million viewers, with regular news updates throughout the day. ITN changed the TV news landscape when it launched 5 News in 1997, producing Five News for nine years before winning the contract to supply news to Channel 5 again from 2012.