Reform UK leader Nigel Farage's decision to resign his Clacton seat and immediately contest a by-election has been described as a "furious gamble" that unexpectedly benefits Labour leadership frontrunner Andy Burnham.

Political Editor James Tapsfield, speaking on the Daily Mail's Deep Dive podcast, suggested that Farage's move, prompted by a parliamentary standards investigation into a significant gift, serves to divert attention from potential weaknesses in Burnham's own policy positions.

Farage announced his resignation Tuesday, ahead of a by-election in which he will stand. The decision comes amid scrutiny over a £5 million gift from British-Thai billionaire Christopher Harborne, which was received before Farage became the MP for Clacton. He denies any wrongdoing, stating the gift was personal and unconditional and therefore not required to be declared.

Farage has characterized the by-election as an opportunity for the people of Clacton to judge his actions, dismissing the financial inquiries as an "establishment hit job."

However, Tapsfield argued that the gamble has not yielded the expected results. The Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, and Green parties have all declined to field candidates against Farage, leaving his sole declared challenger as the satirical candidate Count Binface. This broad non-contention has been interpreted as a tacit acknowledgment by major parties that Farage faces a more challenging situation.

"All the major parties are going to enjoy themselves," Tapsfield said. "They are watching, for the first time really since the general election, the boot being on the other foot, with Nigel having a tougher ride."

He added that Burnham's team is reportedly working to develop a more defined policy platform. "There is a lot of very woolly policy going on there that needs to be sharpened up extremely quickly. So, if Nigel wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin in Clacton, I think Burnham will be welcoming that with open arms."

Tapsfield suggested that Farage's "genuine anger" over media scrutiny of his finances may have influenced his decision, potentially leading to an "embarrassing summer" for the Reform leader.

Contrary to any belief that resignation might halt or significantly delay the Parliamentary Standards investigation, Tapsfield clarified that the inquiry will proceed. A verdict could take months or even over a year. If Farage is found to have breached rules and faces a lengthy suspension, he could be subject to a second by-election in Clacton, initiated not by his own choice.

"There was a mix of him being genuinely very cross and also thinking he might be able to pull off a clever tactic by kind of outflanking his opponents," Tapsfield noted. "This was a kind of calculated, furious gamble taken by Reform and Nigel and, as it stands, it's looking like it's going to be quite an embarrassing summer."

Tapsfield also pointed out the irony that the intense scrutiny Farage decries could be a marker of his growing political significance. "As people become more important to our politics, they need to be looked at more closely, and that's something Nigel has actually argued for before."