A parliamentary by-election is taking place in Clacton in one of the more bizarre electoral contests of the year. Former MP Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, decided to give up the seat he won in the 2024 general election, only to attempt to win it back in the by-election triggered by his resignation.
Farage's 'people versus establishment' showdown
Mr Farage said he wanted the contest to be a "people versus the establishment" showdown, following scrutiny around donations he had received from his backers. An investigation by the parliamentary standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg over a £5 million gift from cryptocurrency tycoon Christopher Harborne, which he received before taking his seat in the Commons, has been paused while the contest takes place.
Mr Farage said he wanted to let the people of Clacton decide if he had done anything wrong, which he insists he hasn't. However, if he is voted back into the Commons, the investigation into his finances will resume and could even result in yet another by-election in the constituency.
Rivals boycott, Count Binface emerges as main contender
His major political rivals decided to boycott the by-election, branding it a stunt, which has left Mr Farage facing a long list of mainly independent and satirical opponents. His main contender is widely seen as Count Binface, who last stood in a by-election earlier this year, for the Makerfield seat now occupied by Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Initially, when Mr Farage announced his resignation, which subsequently triggered the contest, he claimed that his party would foot the bill for the by-election. He said he had written to the council and would contact the chancellor with an offer to cover costs. However, political parties are not allowed to pay for by-elections under electoral law, which means the taxpayer will foot the bill after all.
Taxpayers to foot the bill
At the time, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said: "To maintain the independence and impartiality of the electoral process, the law is clear that the cost of running elections must be met from public funds, and not by candidates or political parties. Individuals or groups can of course make voluntary donations to the Consolidated Fund in the normal way, but these are not ring fenced to pay for specific costs or events."
By-elections cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to put on. The main costs are those incurred by Returning Officers in running the poll and the cost of delivering election mailings produced by candidates. The actual cost varies depending on the location and the number of candidates in the running. The contest in Clacton is estimated to cost taxpayers around £250,000.
Record-breaking ballot paper
With such a large number of candidates standing, the ballot paper for the contest is a whopping 90cm-long, which has caused some logistical problems for Tendring District Council and returning officer Ian Davidson. The size of the ballot paper means larger tables than usual will be required at the count. Also, the result will be announced on the floor of Clacton Leisure Centre rather than on a stage due to the number of candidates who would have to fit on it.
The 34 candidates in Clacton beat the previous record of 26 candidates, set at the Haltemprice and Howden by-election in July 2008, which was triggered by Tory Sir David Davis in his own seat and similarly ignored by the main Westminster parties. The ballot papers will be counted overnight and a result will be declared in the early hours of Friday morning. While the count may take slightly longer than usual due to the high number of candidates, it's expected that the winner will be declared at some point between 5am and 7am.
