Sir Ed Davey calls on Chancellor to 'stop Farage's cynical ploy' by rejecting resignation
The Liberal Democrat leader called on Rachel Reeves to halt to "Farage's cynical ploy"
Sir Ed Davey has called on the Chancellor to reject Nigel Farage's resignation after it emerged that Reeves held the power to halt proceedings.
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In a letter to the Chancellor on Wednesday, the Liberal Democrat leader called for a halt to "Farage's cynical ploy" by putting a stop to his resignation as MP for Clacton-upon-Sea, which would result in a by-election.
"The Chancellor has the power to stop Farage's cynical ploy. I've written to her this morning urging her to act," Davey said in a post to X accompanied by his letter to the Chancellor.
The letter also saw him accuse Farage of "seeking to manipulate Parliamentary rules – and manipulate his own constituents".
Under parliamentary procedure dating back to 1624, any MP who wishes to resign from their post must write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
The Chancellor is then required to appoint them either the Chiltern Hundreds or the Manor of Northstead by means of a written warrant, in the presence of a witness.
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The Chancellor has the power to stop Farage's cynical ploy. I've written to her this morning urging her to act.
— Ed Davey (@EdwardJDavey) July 8, 2026
Farage should not be allowed to resign until the investigation into his dodgy dealings has concluded. The people of Clacton deserve the facts first. pic.twitter.com/1QCuGWcIw4
An individual cannot hold both the position of MP and one of the appointed roles at the same time, meaning the politician relinquishes their role as an MP.
Referring to Farage's "dodgy dealings", the Liberal Democrat leader insisted the constituents of Clacton deserved better as he called for transparency in the midst of an ongoing £5 million donations row.
"Farage should not be allowed to resign until the investigation into his dodgy dealings has concluded. The people of Clacton deserve the facts first," Davey insisted on X.
It comes after the Reform leader sensationally quit as MP and vowed to fight a "people versus establishment" by-election in the Essex seat amid a row over his finances and a parliamentary investigation.
Farage denies any wrongdoing in the row over undeclared gifts and donations he received before he was elected.
Farage also said Reform UK will foot the bill for the by-election but last night, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) told LBC that the move would be illegal.
In the past, there have been instances where individuals were refused such an appointment.
The last person to be turned down by a sitting Chancellor was Viscount Chelsea, who was refused the Chiltern Hundreds in 1842.
The refusal was due to suspicions that money had changed hands to influence the result of the by-election, which would have followed his appointment.
Sir Ed Davey insisted Reeves now held the power to "stop Farage's deception" by making "him wait for the full investigation to complete" before making the appointment.