Nigel Farage has declared victory in the Clacton by-election, saying the result was an “overwhelming” endorsement of him. The Reform UK leader said he had won “fairly convincingly” as counting was under way for the by-election he called following scrutiny of a £5 million donation from a cryptocurrency tycoon.
As polls closed on Thursday night, Labour and the Conservatives said the result would not draw a line under the saga. Speaking to GB News at a party-organised event in Essex, Mr Farage was asked whether he had won, and replied: “Yeah, very convincingly, I’ve managed to beat the establishment candidate.”
Overwhelming endorsement
He added: “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. Maybe I haven’t filled in a piece of paper. I’m confident that I’m right, we’ll see where we go. I put this to the people of Clacton, said ‘you decide my future’, and tonight they will.”
Mr Farage also said he had been proved “right” to call the by-election after he claimed “attacks” and “threats” towards his family had reduced. A record 34 candidates are standing, with satirical candidate Count Binface appearing to be Mr Farage’s main challenger.
Count Binface responds
Speaking to Sky News, Count Binface, a character created by 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.”
He added: “Even if I got to 12%, so one-in-eight people in Clacton would rather vote for a space warrior shaped like a bin than Nigel Farage, that would be interesting wouldn’t it? If it goes higher and higher and higher, it says more about what the actual population thinks about Nigel Farage than maybe this election.”
Turnout and political reaction
Provisional figures showed turnout is approximately 43%, about 15% down on the 2024 general election turnout. Labour Chair Ms Phillipson said Mr Farage should “come clean with the public”, and a Conservative Party spokesperson said the “stunt” of calling the by-election would not draw a line under it.
Ms Phillipson said: “Nigel Farage spent 38 days fighting a bin in his most desperate attempt yet to deflect attention from the sleaze and scandals engulfing him and his Party. Farage may succeed in his run-off against a bin, but he can’t run from the truth forever. The list of unanswered questions about the £5 million gift he hid from the public, his support from a convicted fraudster, and the mountain of other scandals he and Reform are facing isn’t going away. In fact, it’s getting longer by the day. It’s time to stop the excuses and desperate distractions and finally come clean with the public. If Farage has nothing to hide, he surely would have done so by now.”
The 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.”
Cost and context
The contest is estimated to have cost taxpayers about £250,000 with the longest-ever list of candidates, 34. Acting returning officer for Tendring District Council Ian Davidson said extra staff and resources had been put on to deal with the election. Photographers and TV cameras covering the count have been advised by officials they will need a wide-angle lens to fit all the candidates into a single shot.
Before quitting Westminster, Mr Farage was being investigated 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. 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 if he wins the by-election, as bookmakers have made him the firm favourite to do. Mr Farage could also face an investigation over support provided by George Cottrell, a long-term ally. Mr Cottrell reportedly recruited and paid three staff to work on Mr Farage’s social media before the general election, and has continued to allow him to use a five-storey, Georgian property he rented near Buckingham Palace.
The main Westminster parties refused to take part in this contest but could stand if the outcome of the standards investigation into Mr Farage results in another by-election. 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 losing his seat, forcing a second contest.
In the 2024 general election, Mr Farage won Clacton with 46.2% of the vote and a majority of 8,405 over his Conservative rival.
