Nigel Farage, the “architect” of Brexit and a perennially disruptive force in British politics, has announced his intention to stand as a candidate for the hard-right Reform UK party in the country’s July 4 general election.

In an “emergency” press conference Monday, Farage announced he would contest the seat in Clacton, a deprived town on England’s southeastern coast, where Reform has polled well – and that he would take over as leader of the party.

Despite failing to be elected as a Member of Parliament on seven previous occasions, Farage’s candidacy could inject new energy into the Reform campaign and provide another headache for the embattled Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, whose governing Conservative Party has long feared losing voters to the right.

Just last month, Farage had said he would not stand in the general election, and that he would instead “help with the grassroots campaign” to reelect former US President Donald Trump, who was later found guilty by a Manhattan jury of all 34 charges of falsifying business records.

But, speaking from London, Farage said he had begun to change his mind over the weekend. When asked by voters why he was not standing for election, Farage said he gave his “logical, rational reasons for it.”

“But I couldn’t help, after each exchange, I simply couldn’t help feeling that somehow, they felt I was letting them down,” he said. “I have decided. I’ve changed my mind. It’s allowed, you know. It’s not always a sign of weakness.”

Farage has been a disruptive figure in British politics for three decades, transforming the Eurosceptic movement from the fantasy of fringe politicians into the country’s eventual vote to leave the European Union in 2016.

He joined the nascent Reform UK party in 2018, which has since climbed to around 10% in most national polls, bolstered by its opposition to immigration and the government’s net zero plans.

Due to the country’s first-past-the-post electoral system, smaller parties often struggle to translate their national support into parliamentary seats. The problem plagued Farage’s earlier UK Independence Party (UKIP) which, despite securing 12.6% of the vote in the 2015 general election, secured only one seat.

Speaking Monday, Farage said Reform intended to win “millions” more votes than UKIP had during that election, in a bid to make it the UK’s official opposition.