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Where does Farage election leave the people of Clacton? Updated / Saturday, 15 Aug 2026 08:15 Reform UK leader Nigel
Farage arriving at a polling station to cast his vote in the Clacton by-election Juliette Gash By Juliette Gash The
result was about the only thing that was expected in this by-election. Nigel Farage resigned his seat last month after
facing mounting questions over donations he received. One which proved particularly problematic was a £5m gift from
Thailand-based cryptocurrency billionaire, Christopher Harborne. Mr Farage had said it was a no-strings-attached
donation, intended for his own personal security. Furthermore, he said it came before he decided to run as MP for the
eighth time in fact. Despite the Reform UK leader's protestations he’d done no wrong, the Commissioner for
Parliamentary Standards opened an investigation into the matter. Two months later, amid declining approval ratings in
national polls, Mr Farage stepped down. He said he would let the people of Clacton judge him, and the by-election was
called. But if it was, in his own words, a "two fingers" to the establishment, they gave him one back, when none of the
mainstream parties in Westminster contested the poll, saying he was merely trying to evade scrutiny, calling it a
publicity stunt. Clacton-on-Sea, one of the towns in the constituency of Clacton, has a beautiful coastline, but
there’s a sense of faded glory about the place, with a proliferation of arcades and amusements. Clacton-on-Sea, one of
the towns in the Clacton constituency When Count Binface announced he was going to contest the by-election, followed in
short order by a whole host of novelty candidates and, frankly, nobodies, it was hard not to see it all as a circus.
Somewhat fitting for the location. A common refrain among voters in the constituency was how little they saw Mr Farage
around the place, while others said they felt they were the butt of the joke. It’s an odd feature of British democracy
that anyone with £500 to spare can run in an election once they’re a citizen, or indeed an Irish citizen. This quirk
saw three candidates from the Official Monster Raving Loony Party running in Clacton. Between them, they got 68 votes.
None of the candidate outside Nigel Farage, and his closest opponent Count Binface, who won an impressive 27% of the
vote, even broke the 2% threshold. Candidates, including Count Binface, as the result of the Clacton by-election was
announced One oft-quoted feature of this by-election was the fact that it had the highest number of candidates, leading
to the longest ballot paper in British electoral history - almost 90cm. This proved a challenge in terms of counting, as
it was unwieldy and unusual for staff. Hours before the result was announced, Mr Farage told his supporters in a message
broadcast on social media, that he had won. He said: "But I'm damned if I'm going to stand on the stage having won a
resounding victory, a ringing endorsement of all that I've tried to fight for, and you’ve tried to fight for, and be
demeaned and humiliated by nobodies. And I will not, sadly, be attending the count." He also cited security concerns,
saying he’d received a warning of a credible threat to his safety. But in a statement, Essex Police said the count
centre was safe. Mr Farage’s explanation of not wanting to be surrounded by "nobodies" is simple. After Reform UK’s
performance in the local, Welsh and Scottish elections, there was much commentary that he could be the next prime
minister. Not a great look to be standing by a bin and a trio of self-described "loonies" then. Former Conservative
minister-turned Reform spokeswoman, Ann Widdecombe, was murdered in her home last month. The funeral of the 78-year-old
took place the day before the by-election. So, it’s understandable that Mr Farage would cite security concerns, less
so that he would claim to have received notice of a threat from police who say they didn’t issue one. Read more:
Farage beats Count Binface to win Clacton by-election Questions over finances remain as Farage wins UK by-election
Clacton on the map 'for all the wrong reasons' Count Binface said he attended the result of the count, because: "I
thought to hear the verdict of the Clactonites was the least I could do. "All I will say to you is what happens next.
Let's all meet for part two of the Clacton by-election. Coming soon to a leisure centre near you." So where does this
leave the good people of Clacton? Possibly facing into another by-election if Mr Farage is suspended from parliament
over the sleaze allegations. And definitely still in need of decent representation at Westminster. On the night of the
count, acting returning officer, Ian Davidson, told the assembled media that Clacton was a wonderful area, but had
serious deprivation challenges. He said it needed an MP to help with these issues. It’s hard to see how this
by-election result will do that. More stories on News Analysis and Comment Nigel Farage Politics UK Clacton More by
Juliette Gash Questions over finances remain as Farage wins by-election Analysis and Comment Clacton on the map
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