Nigel Farage was re-elected as MP for Clacton in the early hours of Friday, picking up 22,239 votes, but within hours the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards resumed its investigation into a £5 million gift from a Thai-based crypto billionaire. The probe had been paused after Farage quit as an MP, triggering the by-election.
Farage's hollow victory and Binface's best-ever result
Farage, who failed to show up for the count at Clacton leisure centre, faced ridicule as his main rival, Count Binface, achieved his best-ever election result with 9,455 votes. Labour branded Farage a national laughing stock. Count Binface, the alter-ego of comedian Jon Harvey, also kept his £500 deposit for the first time by securing more than 5% of the vote.
The by-election was boycotted by all major parties, and Farage was the first winning candidate to miss an election count since imprisoned IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands in 1981.
Probe resumption and political reactions
Just after Farage's victory, it emerged that the standards probe into the £5 million gift from Christopher Harborne had resumed. If the commissioner finds Farage broke MPs' rules and recommends a suspension of more than 10 days, voters in Clacton could face a second by-election.
New Prime Minister Andy Burnham told BBC 5 Live: "I will always be generous - I recognise the people of Clacton have come up with their answer. But also the parliamentary commissioner has come up with the answer as well that the investigation needs to continue. Let's focus now on that issue because it needs to be resolved to make sure we've got the highest standards in politics. That's incumbent on all of us, including Mr Farage."
Farage's absence and explanations
Farage claimed he was advised not to attend the count due to a "credible threat" by Essex Police, but it is understood the force did not tell him or any other candidate not to attend. He instead appeared at an overnight "Farage fest" in the Essex countryside, with a ferris wheel, DJs and fire pits.
Reform's Lee Anderson said Farage had been told of "some planned disruption" among other candidates. An Essex Police spokesperson said there were "no incidents or issues" during the count.
Reform supporter Tim Montgomerie called it a "good result" for Farage but added: "You don't skip your own victory count without a much better explanation. He's distracting from his victory. Puzzling."
Count Binface told reporters: "Anybody deciding they would rather vote for me to be Member of Parliament than Nigel Farage is a win." Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokeswoman Lisa Smart summed up: "Like most people who win a fight against a bin, Farage has come away looking daft and smelling of yesterday's chip paper."
