Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage says it's his 'duty' to stand as MP for eighth time
The former UKIP leader has had seven failed attempts to become an MP over 26 years but says he will stand again.
Tuesday 14 May 2019 17:51, UK
Nigel Farage has declared he will try for an eighth time to become an MP.
The Brexit Party leader said it was his "duty" to stand in a general election but refused to say where and dodged questions about whether he could fight a seat in Kent.
Mr Farage's last bid to reach parliament was in 2015, when he stood for South Thanet.
The then-UKIP leader lost by 2,812 votes, marking his seventh failure to become an MP over 26 years.
Asked if he would launch another bid to join the ranks of Westminster's 650 MPs, Mr Farage told LBC on Tuesday: "I think it'll be my duty to do so."
Pushed to name a seat he could contest, he said he was "struggling to think beyond" next week's European Parliament elections and a by-election in Peterborough.
When Nigel Farage stood for parliament
:: 1994 by-election - Eastleigh
:: 1997 general election - Salisbury
:: 2001 general election - Bexhill and Battle
:: 2005 general election - South Thanet
:: 2006 by-election - Bromley and Chislehurst
:: 2010 general election - Buckingham
:: 2015 general election - South Thanet
The SNP's Angus Brendan MacNeill told Sky News that Mr Farage was "always running" but "never walks the walk".
"Perhaps he should be running from those who will lose jobs in Swindon and many other places to come," he added.
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While Labour's Paul Sweeney accused Mr Farage of having a "fascinatingly impervious sense of his own importance".
And Change UK leader Heidi Allen added Mr Farage's duty was to "let the British people hear fully his vision for our country's future" by debating her - a request he has reportedly denied.
The Brexit Party is polling higher than the two main parties combined ahead of the national poll to elect a new cohort of MEPs next Thursday.
It is on course to take 34% of votes, with Labour taking 21% and the Liberal Democrats 12%.
Under the Opinium poll for the Observer on Sunday, the Conservatives would achieve their worst ever Euro elections result with just 11% of votes.
The Greens would take 8%, UKIP 4%, the SNP 4% and Change UK 4%.