Nigel Farage said his Reform UK party, with 14.3 per cent of the popular vote in the national elections, would act as a check on any moves by new Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s victorious Labour Party to develop too cosy a relationship with the European Union.

The Brexiteer’s party performed surprisingly well in the UK ballot on July 4, coming second in 98 constituencies. It is now the main challenger in seats such as likely Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner’s constituency of Ashton-under-Lyne, and pushed the Tories into third and occasionally fourth place across England’s North East.

The party’s strong showing marked “the beginning of the end of the Conservative Party”, Farage told reporters, promising the result marked “the first step of something that is going to stun all of you”. 

Farage became an MP on his eighth attempt and will represent the Essex seat of Clacton after winning by almost 10,000 votes over the second-place Conservative candidate.