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Nigel Farage, the politician who helped champion Britain’s departure from the European Union, has announced his candidacy for next month’s UK election, dealing a blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Farage, 60, initially planned to abstain from the July 4 vote to support his friend Donald Trump’s campaign for the US election. However, he revealed his decision to run for the anti-immigration party in a Eurosceptic seat in southeast England and to return as the party leader. “I’ve decided I’ve changed my mind. It’s not always a sign of weakness; it could potentially be a sign of strength.”

Prime Minister Sunak, responding to Farage’s candidacy, said that a vote for Reform would benefit the Labour Party. Sunak has tried to appeal to voters tempted by Reform UK with policies such as tax cuts for pensioners and the reintroduction of national service.

Farage remains one of the most influential British politicians of his generation. His pressure on successive prime ministers has led to tougher stances on Europe and immigration. In the 2019 general election, Farage’s party refrained from contesting seats held by Conservatives to avoid splitting the pro-Brexit vote.

Despite this announcement, current polls indicate a potential victory for the opposition Labour Party, with the Conservatives facing one of their worst results in history. Support for Reform UK is around 10% nationally, positioning the party as having the third-highest vote share. Farage has expressed hope to attract votes from Labour supporters, suggesting that the Conservatives are already weakened.