London | Britain’s most high-profile populist, Nigel Farage, has put his hat in the ring for the election, further denting Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s chances of avoiding a ballot-box disaster on July 4.

Mr Farage on Monday (Tuesday AEST) abruptly reversed a decision not to stand for his right-wing Reform Party, announcing he would contest a seat in Essex, a commuter-belt county just north-east of London.