Farage wins Clacton by-election in vote boycotted by main parties

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has won the Clacton by-election after resigning as the constituency’s MP last month.

Farage, who did not attend the count, received 22,239 votes in a contest which was boycotted by all the main parties.

Count Binface, aka Jon Harvey, came second with 9,455 votes.

The by-election was called last month after Farage resigned as Clacton MP amid increased scrutiny of his finances.

Now that he is set to return as an MP, a standards investigation into a £5m gift he received from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne will recommence.

Farage said his victory was a sign voters were sticking “two fingers up” to the “establishment”.

Speaking to supporters away from the by-election count, Farage said: “I called this by-election because I wanted the people of Clacton, the voters of this constituency to be my judge, not the mainstream media in Britain.”

On his decision not to attend the count, Farage said he would not stand on the stage and be “demeaned and humiliated by nobodies”.

Reform said Farage’s decision not to attend the count had been on police advice due to a “credible threat against him”. Farage himself said a warning had been given about “an organised campaign to disrupt and degrade the result”.

However, it is understood that Essex Police did not advise any candidate to stay away.

A spokesperson for the force said: “We have a proportionate and robust policing operation to ensure the safety and security of all participants in the count.”

Commenting on the result, Count Binface said: “Just eight weeks ago in Makerfield I got 95 [votes]. That means I’ve got against Nigel Farage, 10,000 per cent more votes than I got against Andy Burnham – what does that tell you? Well it tells you that Nigel, who said he didn’t want to be humiliated, maybe has been.”

The parliamentary inquiry into the non-declaration of Harbourne's donation has now resumed.

The money was given in 2024, before Farage became an MP. He has said that it did not require to be declared because it was a personal gift. 

In an interview with GB News after the result, he said: “I have had enough of being judged by mainstream media being called a criminal.

“Do you know if I've made one sin? 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.

He went on: “Maybe I haven't filled in a piece of paper. I'm confident I'm right. We'll see where we go.”