Can someone please explain to me what's happening in UK? Did Farage resign but will come back? What?
Not a brit, I have too much self respect and enjoy civilization, but I do listen to the Lotus Eaters, so, here goes:
Farage was caught taking bribes from a Crypto-bro who did time in the US for money laundering. This would have been fine but he didn't fill out a form for it.
Literally "he didn't have loisence for dat dere bribe, mate!?"
In response he's being investigated by hostile elements of the government, and when he's found guilty of not filing the proper form, they will trigger a by-election, which apparently is a snap election like the recall election we had in the US in California when Enron wanted the Governor out and we ended up with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
He is getting out ahead of this by just declaring a by-election on his own -- he can do that -- where he can frame it as "rebels vs the establishment" (please ignore the fact that he brags about being a containment project to prevent actual rebellion and the actual rebels are Restore to his right) and have a much better chance of winning the election as he won't be "guilty."
Four ways this can backfire:
1. Restore can run a candidate and since everyone hates Farage almost as much as they hate Starmer Farage might lose.
2. They finish the investigation before the by-election, meaning now Farage has to deal with that in big bold letters everywhere as he runs for re-election out of the blue.
3. They finish the investigation AFTER he wins this election stunt... and they force him into another by-election. "Them's the rules right then!"
4. Starmer calls a general election while the Right is running around like a chicken with it's head cut off in a burning down farmhouse, resetting the clock on the 2029 and generally fucking Farage and Lowe's chances of fixing anything.
Fortunately even Starmer isn't a big enough prick to do that.
Personally I think the plan was always to sucker Farage into bringing in a bunch of Tories, then once they were settled in, get rid of Farage and reset the Tory party under the Reform banner. Thus, Farage being headshot like this.