Nigel Farage called a shock by-election after concluding he was facing a “kangaroo court” and a “stitch-up”, an ally has declared. Robert Jenrick warned that if a second vote is ordered once a Parliamentary probe into donations to the Reform leader has concluded, voters will think “the establishment is persecuting this man”.

A caller on an LBC phone-in voiced concerns that a “political stunt” was taking place and that the people of Clacton would be left lacking support from their MP because “it’s by-election after by-election”. Reform UK Treasury spokesman Mr Jenrick replied: “Well, I think the answer to that is let this be the final determiner of what happens to Nigel Farage. I mean, I quite agree with you that putting a constituency through by-elections over and over again becomes a complete farce. People are sick of it. They just want to get on with their lives, and so Nigel’s cut to the chase."

Mr Jenrick highlighted suggestions a Parliamentary inquiry into Mr Farage's finances could lead to a by-election. Mr Jenrick said: “He’s holding the by-election because it was inevitable there was going to be one. All the political party leaders have totally prejudged the situation.

“I don’t know if you saw… but Kemi Badenoch put out a tweet saying that they wouldn’t field the candidate in this by-election, but they would in the next one. Well, how does she know there’s even going to be another one?

“She’s obviously hoping, planning for there to be one, and so Nigel, not unreasonably, concluded that it’s a bit of a kangaroo court. It’s a stitch up. They’re going to call a by-election at some point. So for his sake, but also for his constituents’ sake, let’s just get it done. Let’s get it done in August. Let there be a judge. It’s a big gamble by him, but if he wins, then we can move on. And it would, I think, be completely ridiculous for there then to be another by-election later in the year.

“People really would then start to think the establishment are persecuting this man because they don’t want him to be prime minister because they don’t want the big radical change that he represents things to happen to this country, and I would say the change that the country needs right now.”

The Reform UK leader, who triggered a by-election in his own seat of Clacton following a shock resignation this week, savaged his rivals in a piece for this paper.

He blasted Labour and the Conservatives for showing "contempt" for voters and issued a rallying cry to the "people of Clacton" saying they must take on "the entire political establishment”.

The chief Brexiteer said: "The future of our democracy depends on who wins.”

He added: “As for the mainstream parties who have said they will not stand in this election - it’s an insult to the people of Clacton. The Conservatives conspired with Labour to cancel the local elections, they refuse to call for a general election and they will not stand in this by-election. What is the point of them?

“They are showing contempt for the voters and are running scared of this by-election because they won’t like the result.

“This vote in a few weeks is about whether ordinary people still have the power to stand up to an establishment that believes it can change the rules whenever it fears losing.

“This is a contest between the people of Clacton and the entire political establishment.”

The Clacton by-election, which Reform hopes will take place on August 6, was triggered when Mr Farage stepped down to stand in an emergency ballot to clear his name over a probe into his finances.

His resignation means Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Daniel Greenberg’s investigation is suspended but it will be resumed if Mr Farage wins the by-election and returns to Parliament.

If he is found to have breached the rules and suspended for more than 10 sitting days it could trigger a recall petition, potentially leading to another Clacton by-election.

Long-term ally George Cottrell reportedly recruited and paid three staff to work on Mr Farage’s social media before the general election, and has continued to allow him to use a five-storey Georgian property he rented near Buckingham Palace.

Under the Commons’ rules, new MPs are required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift “could not be reasonably thought by others” to relate to their political activities.

Mr Farage is also being investigated by the parliamentary standards commissioner over a £5 million gift from cryptocurrency tycoon Mr Harborne, which he said was needed to fund the security he required as a result of multiple threats against him.

He said he would not be “judged” by the media, adding: “I’ve decided that the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions.

“This will be a ‘people versus the establishment’ by-election.

“It’s a chance to stick two fingers up to the entire establishment to frankly tell them where to go, and that is why I will be putting my name forward to stand in this by-election.”