Nigel Farage has said he will not be making a return to British politics after a general election was called.

The Reform UK honorary president and former UKIP leader said he had thought “long and hard” as to whether he should stand to become an MP but said “it is not the right time”.

Mr Farage said although the general election is important, the United States election in November “has huge global significance” so he has chosen to “help with the grassroots campaign” there as a “strong America…is vital for our peace and security”.

He added that the choice between Labour and the Conservatives “is uninspiring, and only Reform have the radical agenda that is needed to end decline in this country”.

The former I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here contestant said he is “fully supportive” of Reform UK leader Richard Rice and urged voters “to put their trust in him and Lee Anderson”, the party’s only MP.

Mr Farage has stood to be an MP for various parties seven times but has lost each by significant margins.

He was an MEP in Europe from 1999 to 2020 from where he was a vocal critic of the EU and led the charge for Brexit.

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In 2021, he resigned as leader of Reform to focus on a TV career as a presenter on GB News.

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