Tyson Fury was approached by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK about standing as a candidate and turned the offer down, according to reporting from LBC and The i Paper.

LBC reported that sources close to both the former unified heavyweight champion and the party confirmed Fury is not interested in pursuing politics. Reform UK and Fury were both approached for comment, according to the same report.

The Context Behind the Approach

The reporting comes as Reform UK prepares for a Makerfield by-election in Greater Manchester, triggered by the resignation of Labour MP Josh Simons to make way for Andy Burnham. At the local elections earlier this month, Reform won the eight Makerfield wards with 50.4 per cent of the vote, with Labour on 22.7 per cent and the Greens on just under 11 per cent, per LBC.

Farage has said the party will “throw absolutely everything” at the seat, LBC reported, and has been looking at high-profile names to front its campaign in the region.

Fury’s Past Political Interest

This is not the first time Fury’s name has been linked to a political run. In 2015, he told the BBC he wanted to become the MP for Morecambe and intended to stand as an independent. “I want to make a change for the better for the place I live,” Fury said at the time, per LBC’s recap of the earlier remarks. “I believe that I will succeed because of the influence I have over the people from the town.”

That campaign never materialized. Fury, now 37, lived in Morecambe, Lancashire, for around 17 years before relocating to the Isle of Man last year, citing privacy and security.

Back to the Ring

Fury returned from a 16-month absence on April 10, taking a unanimous decision over Arslanbek Makhmudov. He called out Anthony Joshua in the ring afterward, and reports have since pointed to a fourth-quarter 2026 meeting between the two British heavyweights backed by Turki Alalshikh and Ring Magazine.

Reform UK has not publicly named a candidate for the Makerfield by-election.