What are Reform UK’s chances now Nigel Farage has ducked the election?

Richard Tice, the leader, bravely claimed that the party’s founder ‘will be everywhere’ during the campaign, writes John Rentoul

Lee Anderson, former MP Ann Widdecombe and Reform UK leader Richard Tice at the party election launch on Thursday (Getty)

Nigel Farage, the founder and owner of Reform UK, the rebranded Brexit Party, has announced he will not be standing for parliament in this election. After five unsuccessful general election attempts and two by-elections, he said: “I will do my bit to help in the campaign, but it is not the right time for me to go any further than that.”

He dutifully said that “only Reform have the radical agenda that is needed to end decline in this country”, but ending decline in Britain was less important to him than “the contest in the United States of America” – a contest that, traditionally, does not really get going until Labor Day, 2 September, let alone Independence Day, 4 July.

Richard Tice, his successor as leader of Reform, insisted Farage would still be on bus tours, knocking on doors and speaking at rallies.