Politics Home Article | Nigel Farage Defeats Count Binface To Win Clacton By-Election

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Farage secured a comfortable victory in the Essex constituency, winning around 63 per cent of the vote.

Novelty candidate Count Binface came second with 26 per cent of the vote.

Farage resigned as an MP and triggered the by-election in July amid growing pressure over a £5m donation he received from crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne weeks before announcing his intention to run in the 2024 general election.

His failure to declare the donation led to an investigation by the parliamentary standards watchdog.

The investigation is set to continue once Farage returns to Parliament, and could result in suspension and another by-election if he is found to have broken the rules.  

Speaking in July, Farage described the by-election as “people versus the establishment”, adding that the “people of Clacton” would be “the judges” of his actions.

“It’s a chance to stick two fingers up to the entire establishment, to frankly tell them where to go, and that is why I will be putting my name forward to stand in this by-election,” he said.

A Farage victory in Clacton was widely regarded as almost certain despite his personal ratings taking a hit in recent weeks. The seaside town is often described as one of the most right-wing constituencies in the country and a major Reform stronghold.

Labour, the Conservatives and the other mainstream political parties announced early in the campaign that they would not stand candidates to go up against Farage, arguing that the by-election was unnecessary and a waste of money.

That left a long list of independent and novelty candidates, including Binface, whose policies included hosting Eurovision 2028 in Clacton and relocating Parliament to the Essex village of Weeley, the Monster Raving Looney Party and Everyone Is God Party.