Nigel Farage admits he discussed returning as Reform leader months before election, appearing to undermine previous claims

Nigel Farage has made his clearest admission that he was in talks to return to lead Reform UK months before the 2024 general election, casting fresh doubt on previous claims that he was not involved in politics when he received a £5m gift.

The admission will reopen questions about the nature of the gift – Farage has repeatedly insisted it was not linked to his political career since the Guardian first revealed it in April.