The Reform UK leader is facing a standards investigation over funding from Christopher Harborne

Nigel Farage has confirmed he will make an announcement about his "future in public life" at 2pm this afternoon.

The Reform UK leader, who is under mounting pressure over gifts and donations, will speak out today while a standards investigation takes place.

Mr Farage returned to frontline politics just weeks before the 2024 General Election.

The 62-year-old, who previously led both Ukip and the Brexit Party, won the coastal constituency of Clacton with a majority of 8,405.

Mr Farage's victory came after seven failed attempts to enter the House of Commons, including in Eastleigh in 1994, Buckingham in 2010 and South Thanet in 2015.

Despite claiming back-to-back victories in the 2025 and 2026 Local Elections, Mr Farage found himself at the centre of intense scrutiny over the financial support he has received.

The Reform UK leader is already facing an investigation after pocketing a £5million gift from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne.

Another investigation could take place after it was revealed George Cottrell, a long-term ally who was convicted of fraud in the US, had provided funding for security and staffing in the year before he was elected.

Labour is now asking for the Electoral Commission to investigate whether the support should have been declared because Mr Farage was a prominent figure in Reform UK before returning as leader.

The standards investigation, which is not expected to conclude until at least September, could lead to Mr Farage being suspended from the House of Commons and even a by-election in his Clacton constituency.

Speaking ahead of today's press conference, Mr Farage insisted the probes form part of an "establishment hit job".

He said: "I have done no wrongdoing and followed the rules."

Mr Farage continued: "It’s now clear the establishment will stop at nothing to hurt Reform – we want to smash their cosy consensus."

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch took a swipe at Mr Farage over the ongoing investigation at a rally held in London earlier today.

Mrs Badenoch accused Reform UK of being "completely distracted by their constant scandals and personal dramas”.

The Conservatives have been preparing for a potential by-election in Clacton since the investigation was launched in May.

The Tories stormed to victory in the coastal constituency at the 2019 General Election, having only lost control of the seat during Ukip's heyday.

Despite facing criticism, Mr Farage managed to call on the support of Donald Trump.

The US President, who first became friends with the Reform UK leader in 2016, shared an article on his social media platform Truth Social titled "They're Running the 2024 Anti-Trump Playbook on Nigel Farage".

Despite supposedly snubbing a dinner at Mar-a-Lago, Mr Trump was said to have had a personal phone call with Mr Farage to congratulate him while Sir Keir Starmer was on the brink of resigning as Prime Minister.

The piece shared by Mr Trump was published by the US website The National Pulse.

It claimed Mr Farage is facing “media hostility” with news outlets treating his party’s “popularity as a problem to be solved rather than a political phenomenon to be understood”.

It also alleged there is an increased use of “legal and regulatory institutions against political opponents” and the “emergence of billionaire-backed alternatives designed to stop the insurgent”.

However, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey urged Mr Farage to stand down.

"I hope it's that you haven't got one [a future in public life]," Sir Ed said.