Under battered England flags, cynicism, pessimism and exhaustion stalk the streets of Clacton as the byelection called by Nigel Farage approaches. One young couple do not know which candidates are standing; neither has ever voted. Living in Britain is “depressing”, says the woman. The cost of living is “stupid”, says her partner. They both work 40 or 50 hours a week yet struggle to pay rent, food, and electricity.
Scandal meets indifference
The scandal over Farage’s £5m personal gift from a Thailand-based crypto billionaire and donations from a convicted fraudster provokes little anger. “I know how corrupt everything is,” says a former soldier. “It’s just part and parcel of politics.” Many believe all politicians are on the take, a view that shields Farage. Some offer their own explanations: a flat cap-wearing man in a wheelchair assumes Farage might invest the money locally.
Economic grievances fuel support
Communities across Britain have endured stagnation since the 2008 crash, but Clacton has more problems than most. It is among the top 10% of deprived English constituencies; one neighbourhood is the most deprived in England. A middle-aged man in a navy polo shirt will vote Reform because “the others have just given me a load of rubbish”. Another elderly man regrets voting for Boris Johnson and Margaret Thatcher, who “sold us off” – yet supports Farage, who regards Thatcher as a hero.
Migration and disinformation
Only around one in 20 residents was born abroad, and 96% are white, yet migration looms large. One young man covered in tattoos says migrants are blamed because “it’s an easy route out”. A middle-aged couple told they would have voted for the far-right Restore party. The man claimed 85% of Muslim women cannot speak English, which he said came “from news”. Census data shows two-thirds of Muslim women have English as their main language, with 87.7% speaking it proficiently.
Dissent and resignation
Not all agree. An elderly man with a ponytail and sunglasses says Farage is riding “on a white charger to rescue them from the refugees”, but “they’re a different class – the ruling class”. He offers a simple prescription: “We’ve got one world. Let’s look after it and let’s look after each other.” Another young man intending to vote Farage complains about Labour attacking disability benefits, then adds bleakly, “Yeah, but they’re all trying to do that.”
The anger is real – work that doesn’t pay, stripped-back public services, communities not invested in. Many conclude that if the main parties have no answers, why not bet on something else? But Farage, funded by a crypto billionaire and blaming migrants, is hardly a solution – he wants to double down on the economic policies that caused the pain.
