Nigel Farage has told the BBC he discussed the "potential liabilities" of returning to politics before the 2024 general election. It comes after The Sunday Times, external reported Farage had negotiated a deal in March and April 2024 with then-Reform leader Richard Tice to return to lead the party. Farage said he took this decision as the "people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions". In May 2024, Farage was serving as Reform's honorary president but announced he would not be standing as a candidate in the general election in July of that year. But it wasn't a deal, it wasn't an agreement, it was subject to if I came back."