Reform UK founder and honorary president Nigel Farage has announced he will not stand in the general election.
There was speculation he would be unveiled as a candidate by Reform leader Richard Tice this morning.
He had previously said he would not make an eighth attempt to become an MP at Westminster under the current first-past-the-post electoral system.
In a statement posted on X, the GB News presenter said he would "do my bit to help" the party in the campaign.
"But now is not the right time for me to go any further than that," he added.
Reform insists it is targeting both Conservative and Labour voters, but evidence from recent by-elections suggests the Tories have the most to fear from the party, which Mr Farage led from 2019 to 2021 when it was known as the Brexit Party.
The latest opinion polls put it at around 11%, ahead of the Liberal Democrats, and Reform says it will have enough candidates to contest every seat.
In the last general election in 2019, the party did not stand in constituencies won by Conservatives in 2017.
The party currently has one MP, Lee Anderson, who defected from the Conservatives.
In his statement, Mr Farage said he had "thought long and hard as to whether I should stand in the upcoming general election".
"As honorary president of Reform UK, I am fully supportive of Richard Tice's leadership and urge voters to put their trust in him and Lee Anderson.
"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.
"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."
Reform has been particularly critical of the Conservatives on the issues of immigration and net zero.
Speaking after the election was announced, Mr Tice said Reform was ready for the election with "common sense policies".
He added: "People know that the Tories have broken Britain. Labour and Starmer will do what they always do, which is bankrupt Britain."
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2024-05-23 09:08:23Z
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