A new poll suggests that Britons view Nigel Farage's victory in the Clacton by-election as a positive outcome for the Reform UK leader. According to a survey conducted by More in Common, 39% of respondents described the result as good for Farage, while 15% considered it bad and 24% said it was neither good nor bad.
Reform voters strongly back Farage
Among Reform voters, support for the result is notably higher, with 78% saying it was a good outcome, including 47% who rated it as very good. Except for Green Party supporters, every voter group was more likely to view Farage's win as good rather than bad or neutral.
However, the poll also reveals that 49% of respondents believe Farage should face a second by-election if he is found to have breached rules amid the controversy over his finances. Farage won the contest with more votes than he received at the previous general election.
Public opinion on the donations row
Luke Tryl, UK Director at More in Common, commented: “If one of Farage’s aims in calling this by-election was to motivate supporters and project confidence, it seems to have proven quite successful: Britons tend to think that the result was a victory for Farage, and among Reform’s own voters four in five say that it was a good result for him.”
He added: “Yet the public are less aligned with Farage’s hopes that winning the support of the people of Clacton might put the donations row to bed. If Farage is seen to have broken the rules, Britons tend to say he should face a second by-election.”
Tryl continued: “Beyond Reform’s own supporters, few think that this by-election lets him off the hook, or that he is being unfairly targeted. So while it seems the public see Clacton as a victory for Reform, most don’t see it as a vindication of Farage’s position on the finance row.”
Background and next steps
Farage triggered the by-election, which he framed as a “people versus the establishment” contest, during a parliamentary investigation into a £5 million gift from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne. The sum was received before Farage became an MP, but the probe is examining whether it should have been declared upon entering the Commons.
Farage won the Clacton by-election on Thursday with 22,239 votes, but the main parties declined to field candidates, stating they would not run unless a second contest occurred. The investigation has now resumed, and a second by-election could be forced if Farage is found to have broken the rules and a suspension of more than 10 days is imposed. More in Common polled 2,055 people from August 14-17.
