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A by-election in Clacton has been formally triggered, following Reform UK leader Nigel Farage's resignation as MP.
Reform MP Lee Anderson moved the writ in the Commons on Thursday morning, meaning there will be a likely by-election date of Thursday, 13 August, though this has yet to be confirmed.
Farage has said he will re-fight the Essex seat in what he billed as a "people versus the establishment" by-election, following increased scrutiny over his finances and a parliamentary investigation.
Labour, the Conservatives, the Lib Dems, the Green Party and Restore Britain have all ruled out contesting the seat.
Questions surrounding Farage's finances started over a £5m gift he received before entering Parliament from Christopher Harborne, a Thailand-based British cryptocurrency investor and major Reform donor.
Parliament's standards commissioner is investigating whether he should have declared that sum upon becoming an MP in his published register of financial interests.
The Sunday Times has reported Farage also received support ahead of the 2024 election from George Cottrell, external, a political ally who was jailed for eight months in the US in 2017 after pleading guilty to a charge of wire fraud.
The Reform leader, who has denied any wrongdoing, has accused the parties of being "scared" to face him and said their lack of co-operation did not make it a "fake" contest.
Farage's party has offered to cover the cost of the by-election, which is normally paid for from central government funds.
A government estimate from 2016 put the cost of by-elections at £228,964 but that figure will have risen since then.
But the government has ruled this out, with the PM's official spokesman saying on Wednesday: "To maintain independence and impartiality of the electoral process, the law is clear that the cost of running an election must be met from public funds and not from candidates for political parties."
From the moment a writ is moved in Parliament - the process of formally triggering a by-election - it usually takes place between 21 and 27 working days.
With elections normally held on Thursdays, this gives a likely date of 13 August.
Meanwhile, Reform UK's Robert Jenrick has rejected suggestions Farage is "cowardly" for not waiting for the outcome of a parliamentary investigation into a £5 million gift.
"I don't think you can ever call people cowardly who call by-elections," he said.
"He's holding the by-election because it was inevitable there was going to be one. All the political party leaders have totally prejudged the situation."
He added that should Farage win the upcoming by-election but a second by-election was triggered by the outcome of the parliamentary investigation, people would think "the establishment is persecuting this man".
