“If it’s the Tin Man, then I suppose I’ll vote for Nigel,” says a retiree in Clacton, referring to Farage and his main byelection challenger, Count Binface. “I would sooner have Farage than the Tin Man!”
Since Farage quit as MP on 7 July, forcing a byelection, the constituency has been in flux. The sun beats down as the photographer Andy Hall and I traverse the coast from Jaywick to Walton-on-the-Naze. At the Seabreeze kiosk, owner Nicky Friday is not exercised by politics: “This is going to sound terrible, but I’m so busy running this business and working here. I don’t really do politics.”
The Pier and Local Business
Billy Ball, managing director of Clacton Pier, notes that Farage was the only MP who reached out to them on day one. But outside, teaching assistant Ashley says: “I don’t agree with it. Clacton should be famous in its own right for what it has to offer.”
Down a sidestreet, a burnt-out building and an abandoned van feature graffiti: “IT’S TIME TO TAKE OUT THE TRASH: VOTE BINFACE.” Carol Pickett, 66, who runs a nearby hotel, says Farage has been absent: “He’s never been and visited any of these small businesses down here.”
Jaywick: A Community Fighting Back
In Jaywick, 36% of residents have a disability. Linda, 76, says: “In the winter, it’s the coldest place you could ever live and, in the summer, it can be really, really hot.” The community hub Sunspot houses Rainy Bakes cafe, run by Lorraine Wildes and Mark Hammond. Hammond says he likes Farage for “his graft”.
Danell Dreelan, 40, whose daughter Bobbie-Jean organised Jaywick’s first carnival, says: “A lot of girls from here get treated like crap because they’re from Jaywick.” Bobbie-Jean says Farage should come to events to “meet the people, but he doesn’t do that”.
Frinton and Wider Views
In Frinton, residents are more reserved. David Ketterer, 82, says Farage “has charisma”. Paul Andrews, 80, voted for Farage in 2024 but is critical: “He’s either got to come clean and say that he did make a mistake and stay as an MP, or just clear off completely.”
Alan Sainty, 69, a painter and decorator, says: “Nigel Farage all day long. He’s been persecuted by the establishment.” Despite his support, Sainty says of politicians: “What has anyone done all my life?”
As the byelection approaches, many residents express fatigue and a sense that little has changed. Terry Chapman, a taxi driver, plans to vote Binface “to take the mickey”. The carnival in Jaywick offered a moment of joy, but for Dreelan, the election is something to ignore.
