Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has been returned as an MP after winning the Clacton by-election held on Thursday, amid claims - contested by police - that he was told not to attend the election count due to a “credible threat” against him.
Mr Farage won with 22,239 votes, with Count Binface in second place on 9,455 votes. He secured a 12,784 majority, 62.82% of the vote, up from his 8,405 vote majority, 46.2%, when he won at the 2024 general election. The result was declared shortly after 6am.
By-election boycotted by major parties
The by-election was boycotted by Labour, the Conservative Party, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party. Mr Farage resigned as an MP and triggered the by-election amid scrutiny of his financial dealings on July 7 this year.
Turnout was 44.37%, down by just over 14% on the election won by Mr Farage in 2024. There were 34 candidates but a record 32 recorded so few votes that they did not retain their deposits.
Police dispute threat claim
Mr Farage did not attend the declaration, claiming to have been told by Essex Police of an “organised campaign to disrupt and degrade the result”. A Reform UK spokesperson later said: “Essex Police advised Nigel not to attend the count tonight due to a credible threat against him.”
However, the Press Association understands Essex Police did not tell Mr Farage, or any other candidate, not to attend the count. A spokesperson for Essex Police said: “We have a proportionate and robust policing operation to ensure the safety and security of all participants in the count.”
Mr Farage told supporters at an all-night “Farage-fest” event organised by Reform in Essex he would not be attending the count: “I’m not scared of these people, far from it. But I’m damned if I’m going to stand on a 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.”
Victory speech and reaction
In his speech, Mr Farage said, hours before the result was formally declared: “The verdict is now in, and it is a convincing, overwhelming win with more votes than we got in the general election of 2024.” He added: “Today the voters in Clacton have stuck up two fingers to the entire political establishment.”
He earlier told GB News: “Look, this is an overwhelming endorsement of me. I have had enough of being judged by mainstream media, being called a criminal. Do you know, if I made one sin, if I haven’t filled in a piece of paper, I’ve broken no law, I’ve broken no tax law, I’ve taken no public money, I don’t even own a motorhome.”
The by-election was triggered by Mr Farage’s resignation over scrutiny of donations from cryptocurrency tycoon Christopher Harborne. Labour and the Conservatives said his victory would not draw a line under the controversy.
Speaking to Sky News, Count Binface, a character created by comedian Jonathan David Harvey, referred to the possibility of a second by-election in the seat if Mr Farage is found to have broken Parliamentary rules. He said: “You just said at the beginning of this interview that Nigel Farage is claiming victory, but in that case it’s going to be a two-legged match like the Carabao Cup or the Cold War, because we’re going to be back again in a few weeks aren’t we? We’ll see what happens then.”
Labour Party Chair Bridget Phillipson said: “This is no victory for Nigel Farage. The mountain of sleaze and scandal he and Reform are now engulfed in has grown and grown while he’s been trying to distract the public by fighting a by-election against a bin. This morning, Nigel Farage shouldn’t be celebrating – he should wake up and smell the coffee. He must come clean with the public and put all the facts on the table over his secret £5 million gift, his relationship with a convicted fraudster, and the other scandals his Party is drowning in. Farage’s distraction by-election doesn’t clear his name – it just shows he likely has so much more to hide.”
A Conservative Party spokesperson said: “Nigel Farage called this fake by-election in a desperate attempt to draw a line under the questions surrounding his fishy £5 million donation. Whatever the outcome on Friday, this stunt has not done that.”
Standards investigation and possible recall
Before quitting Westminster, Mr Farage was being investigated by the parliamentary standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg over a £5 million gift from Mr Harborne, which he received before taking his seat in the Commons. Under Commons rules, new MPs are required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift “could not be reasonably thought by others” to relate to their political activities.
That investigation was paused when Mr Farage resigned his seat but will resume. Mr Farage could also face an investigation over support provided by George Cottrell, a long-term ally. If he is found to have broken the rules and a suspension of more than 10 days is imposed, it could trigger a recall petition and the prospect of Mr Farage facing a second by-election.
