Voters in Clacton-on-Sea are heading to 51 polling stations across the Essex coastal area, from Jaywick, Frinton and Walton-on-the-Naze to rural spots like St Osyth, Weeley and Great Bentley. They are being handed a 90cm (3ft) voting slip, officially the longest in British electoral history.
The contest was triggered when Reform UK leader Nigel Farage stepped down, following scrutiny over his finances, including a £5 million donation from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne and gifts linked to convicted criminal George Cottrell.
Political Rivals React
Labour's Yvette Cooper called the resignation a "political tantrum", while other critics described the contest as a "stunt" and a "distraction" from his financial troubles.
With 34 candidates, the election has broken the record for the most candidates in a single UK parliamentary election. Twenty of them are running as independents.
Polling and Expectations
Survation polling for Mandate Research suggests Farage is still leading with 73 per cent of the vote, ahead of his closest rival, Count Binface, on 20 per cent. Binface's manifesto includes capping croissant prices at £1, national service for commuters who play loud music on public transport, and building at least one affordable home. Laurence Fox of The Reclaim Party trails at 2 per cent.
Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm. Ballot boxes will be taken to Clacton Leisure Centre between 10.10pm and 11.30pm. With 79,785 registered voters and over 10,000 postal votes already cast, counting nearly a metre of paper is expected to take until between 5am and 7am on Friday morning.
Full Candidate List
The candidates are: Joseph 77 (Independent), Adham Alkhatip (The Forward Party), Count Binface (Count Binface Party), Nick The Incredible Flying Brick (The Official Monster Raving Loony Party), Tony Cane (Independent), Woke Trump Carrzee (Independent), William Stuart James Clouston (Social Democratic Party), Rees Cowne (Independent), Glenn Charles Cummings (Independent), Martin Davies (Freedom Alliance – Real People, Real Alternative!), Andy Erlam (Independent), Nigel Farage (Reform UK), Attieh Fard (Independent), Laurence Fox (The Reclaim Party), Tony Francis (Independent), Robin Green (Independent), Abi Hookway (Independent), Howling Laud Hope (The Official Monster Raving Loony Party), Stephen Richard Ingram (Independent), Amy Morris (Independent), Derrick Norbert Morris (Independent), Michael Noel O'Keeffe (Independent), Martyn O'Brien (Independent), Nick Pelas (Independent), Ketankumar Pipaliya (UK VOICE safer and stronger UK), Daniel Pocock (Independent), James Ransley (Consensus Party Candidate), Gerry Smith (Independent), Kai Stephens (British Democrats), John Stevens (Rejoin EU), Baron Von Thunderclap (The Official Monster Raving Loony Party), Pamela Walford (Independent), and Marcus White (Everyone is God Party).
