‘The lead singer is unavailable’: Is Nigel Farage spending his summer in hiding?

The Reform UK leader is keeping a low profile and his approval ratings have sunk since Burnham took office. What’s the outlook for the Clacton byelection? This time last year, Nigel Farage was making the political weather. His freewheeling weekly press conferences filled a sparse news agenda, setting out eye-catching policies on areas such as crime and immigration. This year? Less so. The Reform UK leader is expected to hold a press conference in London next week. If so, it would be just his ...

By Peter Walker Senior political correspondent