Nigel Farage has won the Clacton by-election, but his victory is overshadowed by a dispute over claims that police advised him not to attend the count due to a “credible threat”.
Farage claims police warned of threat
The Reform UK leader pre-empted the official declaration by telling supporters he had won “fairly convincingly” and described the result on the hottest day of the year as an “overwhelming endorsement” of him. However, he said he would not attend the official declaration at Clacton Leisure Centre as Essex Police had told him about 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.”
Farage's speech and reaction
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.”
In his speech, hours before the result was formally declared, he said: “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.”
Council and police response
Council acting returning officer and chief executive Ian Davidson said he did not know that Mr Farage would not attend the count until the Reform UK leader announced it in his speech. “It is up to individual candidates’ wish to or do not wish to attend the count, but as far as we’re concerned we will be able to complete this count successfully and safely for all the candidates, my staff here and all the visitors,” Mr Davidson said. “I am not aware of what has been said, or what that threat is.”
Mr Davidson said Essex Police had assigned an assistant chief constable as part of a “Gold Command” policing operation. He said he did not believe there was any threat serious enough for the count to be called off, but that he could not comment further on security matters.
Context and reactions
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. A record 34 candidates were standing, with satirical candidate Count Binface appearing to be Mr Farage’s main challenger, after the other mainstream parties declined to stand.
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.” 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.”
Turnout was 44.37%, just over 14% down from the 2024 general election. Labour Chair 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.”
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.”
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. 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.
