Farage wins Clacton seat but skips count as police deny security threat
The byelection, costing an estimated £250,000, has reignited scrutiny over Farage’s undeclared donations as a standards investigation resumes.
Nigel Farage has won the Clacton byelection with 22,239 votes, securing 63.34 per cent of the ballot, but declined to attend the count at Clacton leisure centre. The Reform UK leader instead attended a separate gathering of supporters at a local airfield, billed as “Farage Fest”, where he told attendees he would not stand on a stage to be “demeaned and humiliated”.
Farage’s absence sparked conflicting explanations regarding the reason for his non-appearance. A Reform UK spokesperson stated that Essex police had advised Farage not to attend due to a “credible threat” against him. However, Essex Police explicitly denied providing such advice, stating no such recommendation had been made. By the following morning, Reform UK MP Lee Anderson offered an alternative account, suggesting Farage wished to remain with supporters to avoid disrespecting them.
Satirical candidate Count Binface, whose real name is Jon Harvey, finished second with 9,455 votes, representing 26.93 per cent of the total. The independent candidate, who describes himself as an “independent space warrior”, claimed victory among those present at the leisure centre. Binface highlighted that his vote share significantly exceeded his previous performance in the Makerfield byelection, where he received only 95 votes.
The election, which saw a 44 per cent turnout, was estimated to have cost the public purse £250,000. The ballot paper for Clacton was noted as the longest in UK electoral history, measuring 90cm. Photographs from the count captured a spoiled ballot paper bearing the handwritten message: “What a disgraceful waste of money.”
Major political parties criticised the outcome and Farage’s conduct. A Conservative spokesperson remarked that Farage could only brag about beating a candidate with a bin on his head, while Labour chair Bridget Phillipson stated there was “no hiding place” for Farage. The parliamentary standards investigation into Farage for allegedly failing to declare a £5m gift from a crypto billionaire resumed three hours after the result was declared.
