Clacton by-election results: Nigel Farage wins but Count Binface gets over 9,000 votes_D

Nigel Farage feared Count Binface would “take the mickey out of him mercilessly”, Michael Crick, his biographer, has said.

Mr Crick said that the Reform leader announced last night that he would not attend because he did not want to be “demeaned and humiliated by nobodies”.

He told Times Radio: “What an amazing statement for a self-confident politician to say – to talk about being ‘demeaned and humiliated’. You would never have got Churchill or Thatcher or Blair talking about being ‘demeaned or humiliated’.”

He added: “I think he was frightened that Count Binface – who after all is a very bright and very astute satirist – would have taken the mickey out of Farage mercilessly.”

Having taken 26.7% of the vote on Friday morning, Count Binface has become the best-performing novelty candidate in modern British political history.

While Nigel Farage took 22,239 – 62.8% – Binface won 9,455 votes, which is also his strongest result in a parliamentary election.

Count Binface – who received over a quarter of votes in Clacton – has likened himself to Cape Verde’s World Cup side after his success in the by-election.

In a post on X, he said: “Just call me Caped Verde.”

During this year’s World Cup, Cape Verde saw extraordinary success, having entered the competition ranked 67th in the world. They had three group stage draws, including a 0-0 result against Spain, who went on to win.

Heading towards the polling station at Clacton Leisure Centre, houses have displayed their voting intentions.

Labour have posted online following the by-election.

A dis-used hut along the beachfront is displaying some unique graffiti.

I spoke to local man, Chris, who said he voted for Count Binface as he was the “most credible candidate”.

He said locals had only seen Nigel Farage around election time and admitted that while he expected him to win, he wanted to vote for Binface to reduce his overall majority.

“[Farage] wants to turn Clacton into a Reform stronghold,” he said.

He also told me he was disappointed none of the other major parties stood for election, as he is a long-standing Conservative voter.

He also said he was not surprised the turnout for the by-election was low (66%), along with a lot of spoiled ballots.

I will be in Clacton-on-Sea today to chat to locals about the by-election results.

If you’d like to get in touch, please email me at emily.wright@reachplc.com.

The parliamentary investigation into a £5 million gift received by Nigel Farage has resumed after he won the Clacton by-election.

According to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards’ website, the probe over an alleged failure to declare an interest is now ongoing again after it was opened on May 13.

Previously, the website said it had been suspended amid the Clacton by-election. The resumption is automatic now that Mr Farage is returning to the Commons after winning the vote.

Lee Anderson said Reform UK will “of course” cooperate with a parliamentary investigation into a £5 million gift received by Nigel Farage.

The Reform MP said that “as far as I’m concerned, and Reform UK are concerned, that the slate is wiped clean now in Clacton”.

Asked whether they would cooperate with a probe by Parliament’s standards watchdog, which is expected to resume as Mr Farage returns to the Commons, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Of course we will. We’ll always cooperate with any procedure within Parliament. That’s what we do.

“It’s not always a two-way thing in Parliament. We’ve tried many, many times in Parliament to be part of the democratic system. We’ve tried to get on select committees… the powers that be won’t allow us to do that.

“So you know, I know we’re only a small party, but we are a massive part of democracy in this country. We won’t shut up from the backbenches. We’ll carry on defending the rights of people in this country.”

Nigel Farage was due to give a “major speech” from 10.30 this morning, but this was cancelled earlier today.

The Reform UK press office said he had “already commented on the expected result of the by-election”.

He also did not attend the count over disputed claims of a “credible threat” against him.

However, Essex Police said it had “robust” policing and did not tell any candidate not to attend the count.

Reform UK leader and the newly returned MP for Clacton, Nigel Farage, has been “partying through the night” after winning his seat back.

Lee Anderson, a Reform UK MP who serves as the party’s chief whip, said Mr Farage had enjoyed a “fantastic night” with his supporters.

Overnight he had a “few beers and a bit of bubbly” as the group had been “partying all through the night”.

Mr Anderson told BBC Radio 5 Live: “We had a few beers, a bit of bubbly. We’ve had live music. We’ve had a ferris wheel, we had a barbeque, we’ve had all sorts of frivolities through the night.

“It’s been absolutely brilliant and I tell you what, it’s only right the man of the people spends the evening and the early hours with his campaigners, with his activists and members of staff.”

Essex Police Force have said that there were no “incidents or issues” around the Clacton by-election count, and the decision to attend or not is “for individuals and their security teams”.

Their comment comes after a Reform UK spokesman said to the media that Nigel Farage would not be attending the byelection count due to threats made against him.

Mr Farage had earlier said the police had warned him of a plot to disrupt the event, with Reform MP Richard Tice saying his boss missed the count because his “security was paramount”.

Turnout in the Clacton by-election was “quite healthy” when compared to similar ballots in recent years, an election expert has claimed.

Sir John Curtice, who is well known for his expertise on elections in the UK, said that voters in the seaside town had turned out in “numbers that are quite healthy by the standards of modern by-elections”.

However the election guru confirmed that Nigel Farage had not done as well as David David, who won 72% of the vote in 2008, “in the one by-election that is most similar to this one”.

Lee Anderson has said he has not spoken to his party leader, the newly elected MP for Clacton Nigel Farage, about claims he had been advised not to attend the by-election count.

When asked by the media about the suggestion that Essex Police had advised him not to attend, the Reform UK MP said “sometimes some of these police forces that we’ve been dealing with recently are about as honest as you lot at the BBC”.

He told BBC Breakfast: “I’ve not spoken to Nigel about this. I’ve not spoken to Essex Police.

“If Nigel gets up on stage and says that he’s been advised not to attend the event, then I believe Nigel above the police, and especially above you lot at the BBC.”

Nigel Farage’s success at the Clacton by-election does not clear him from questions around his finances, the Labour Party has claimed.

Before announced he would step aside as an MP for the seaside town Mr Farage was facing an investigation by the parliamentary standards watchdog.

That investigation was looking into a potential breach of rules MPs must follow on their financial interests. An investigation has also been launched by the Metropolitan Police into donations to Reform UK.

Speaking this morning the Labour Party Chair, Bridget Philipson MP said: “Farage’s distraction by-election doesn’t clear his name – it just shows he likely has so much more to hide.”

Nigel Farage’s vote share at the by-election eclipses his previous total at the last general election where he became MP for the first time.

This time around he secured 63 per cent of the total votes cast. In 2024 the Reform UK leader managed to take home 46 per cent.

Opinion pollster Luke Tryl suggested that the increased share this time around shows “real enthusiasm” from voters.

Nigel Farage: 22,239 – 62.8%

Count Binface: 9,455 – 26.7%

John Stevens (Rejoin EU): 492 – 1.4%

Tony Francis (IND): 432 – 1.2%

Pamela Walford (IND): 371 – 1.0%

Laurence Fox (Reclaim Party): 347 – 1.0%

William Stuart James Clouston (Social Democratic Party): 256 – 0.7%

Nick Pelas (IND): 202 – 0.6%

James Ransley (Consensus): 192 – 0.5%

Stephen Richard Ingram (IND): 159 – 0.4%

Kai Stephens (British Democratic Party): 132 – 0.4%

Attieh Fard (IND): 126 – 0.4%

Derrick Norbert Morris (IND): 100 – 0.3%

Martyn Obrien (IND): 65 – 0.2%

Martin Davies (Freedom Alliance): 60 – 0.2%

Robin Green (IND): 59 – 0.2%

Rees Cowne (IND): 50 – 0.1%

Adham Alkhatip (Forward Party): 49 – 0.1%

Amy Morris (IND): 46 – 0.1%

Andy Erlam (IND): 44 – 0.1%

Joseph 77 (IND): 42 – 0.1%

Nick the Incredible Flying Brick (Official Monster Raving Loony Party): 28 – 0.1%

Ketankumar Pipaliya (UK Voice): 21 – 0.1%

Michael Noel O’Keeffe (IND): 19 – 0.1%

Howling Laud Hope (Official Monster Raving Loony Party): 18 – 0.1%

Tony Cane (IND): 17

Daniel Pocock (IND): 16

Baron Von Thunderclap (Official Monster Raving Loony Party): 15

Abi Hookway (IND): 14

Marc Wilkinson (IND): 11

Marcus White (Everyone is God Party): 10

Gerry Smith (IND): 9

Woke Trump Carrzee (IND): 8

Glenn Charles Cummings (IND): 7

Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokeswoman Lisa Smart MP said: “Like most people who win a fight against a bin, Farage has come away looking daft and smelling of yesterday’s chip paper. Now that he’s heading back to Westminster, the investigation into his shady financial affairs and £5 million “gift” must crack on. Reform claims to fight for the people, but they answer to crypto-billionaires.

“Triggering a vanity by-election was a blatant attempt to dodge being held to account. The Liberal Democrats have proposed a ‘Clacton Clause’ to a bill going through parliament that would stop a stunt like this being pulled ever again. A sitting MP under investigation should never be able to weaponise a by-election into a taxpayer funded attempt to escape scrutiny.”

Richard Tice said Nigel Farage’s “team” judged there was “sufficient anxiety, concern and threats” amid the Clacton by-election.

Reform UK said overnight that police had told him not to attend the count due to a “credible threat” against him, which the Press Association understands is not the case.

Asked about the claim on GB News, deputy leader Mr Tice said: “Well, as you can imagine, given everything that’s gone on in recent days and weeks, security is very paramount to all of us at Reform.

“Ultimately, it was judged by Nigel’s team that there was there was sufficient anxiety, and concern, and threats, that meant that whilst of course he would love to have been at the count, ultimately his security counts for more than anything else, and I don’t think anybody, frankly, should in any way question his… team’s judgment on that.”

Asked whether he could say anything more about information the party claims to have received that meant Mr Farage did not want to be on stage, he said: “No, I can’t. But I think we should just trust those tasked with keeping Nigel safe and alive, I hesitate to say, but that’s what the task is.

“And if a credible threat is perceived or a deep anxiety, whatever you want to term it, clearly they’re going to err on the side of caution, and that’s just the reality.

“So, yes, of course, it’s a shame he would have loved to have been there, but security is paramount, and everybody knows we’ve had a very, very difficult few weeks and last couple of months.”

Nigel Farage’s spokesman said: “Nigel Farage asked the people of Clacton to judge his record in public office. “Tonight he received more votes than he did in 2024. “The result speaks for itself.”

The main Westminster parties will stand candidates in the second by-election, if one takes place in a few months.

Nigel Farage’s investigation by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner will trigger a second count if the probe leads to a 10 day suspension and a petition recall which reaches 10%.

Bridget Phillipson MP, chair of the Labour Party, said: “Let’s be clear: this is no victory for Nigel Farage. The mountain of sleaze and scandal he and Reform are now engulfed in has grown and grown while he’s been trying to distract the public by fighting a by-election against a bin.

“This morning, Nigel Farage shouldn’t be celebrating – he should wake up and smell the coffee. He must come clean with the public and put all the facts on the table over his secret £5 million gift, his relationship with a convicted fraudster, and the other scandals his Party is drowning in.

“Farage’s distraction by-election doesn’t clear his name – it just shows he likely has so much more to hide.”

The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner had opened two probes into Nigel Farage.

It could lead to a suspension from the House of Commons. That could lead to a recall petition and then a possible second by-election over the next few months.

Nigel Farage won 22,239 votes.

There was hardly any applause at the count when his victory was announced.

He receieved 1,014 more votes than 202, about 62.8% of the vote.

Count Binface secured 9,455 votes

Twenty two candidates out of the record 34 are attending the count result in Clacton.

The room has gone quiet with the retruning officer about to announce the winner.

Essex Police did not advise any candidate not to attend the Clacton by-election count, it is understood.

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

At the Clacton count we’ve just been told that they are aiming to declare the result at 6am.

The Clacton by-election result is expected in the next hour or two.

A spokesman for Reform UK said: “Essex Police advised Nigel not to attend the count tonight due to a credible threat against him.”

Clacton by-election acting returning officer Ian Davidson said in a statement: “We have worked closely with Essex Police colleagues to ensure the election process is completed safely and securely, as is evident from the level of security we have in place here today.

“This includes a robust policing operation throughout the day and including at the count.

“It is a candidate’s decision whether or not to attend the count.”

He continued: “However I want to reassure people we have no reason not to proceed with the count process at this time.”

Mr Davidson added that he could not comment further on security matters.

Nigel Farage has said he is not attending the Clacton by-election count.

He said: “I’m sad to say that after 33 years of being a candidate in active politics, I’ve been advised tonight by Essex Police that there is an organised campaign to disrupt and degrade the result that will take place in a few hours’ time.

“Once again it shows you the sheer intolerance, the sheer loss of fundamental democratic principles that those that went before us, fought in world wars, to fight for and preserve.

“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.”

Nigel Farage insisted Clacton voters have “stuck two fingers up to the entire political establishment”.

He said he did not think Reform had been “forgiven” for their sweeping victory in the May local elections.

The Reform leader said: “I really feel that we’ve not been forgiven for May 7.

“And they decided if they couldn’t, they’d try and beat us by foul means.

“Today the voters in Clacton have stuck two fingers up to the entire political establishment.”

Nigel Farage has predicted he has received more votes than he did at the 2024 general election.

Speaking at a party dubbed “Farage Fest”, the Reform leader said: “I called this by-election because I wanted the people of Clacton to be my judge, not the mainstream media in Britain and the political establishment who paint us out to be criminals and bad people every day.

“So I asked the voters of Clacton to be my jury and the verdict has now come in, and it is a convincing, overwhelming win with more votes, on the hottest day of the year, in the middle of August, in holiday season, we have secured far more votes than we got in the general election of 2024.”

Nigel Farage is due to give a speech imminently from a party in Clacton for supporters dubbed “Farage Fest”.

The turnout for the Clacton by-election was 44.37% from an electorate of 79,785.

Verification has been completed and the count has begun.

Nigel Farage will be “vindicated” over his decision to spark the by-election if he wins by more votes than the 21,225 he received in the 2024 general election, a Reform UK source has said.

The insider said: “If Nigel Farage wins by more votes tonight than he did in 2024 then his decision to call this by-election against the establishment will be vindicated.”

Count Binface has hit back at Nigel Farage after the Reform leader branded him the “establishment candidate” in the Clacton by-election.

He told Sky News: “That’s interesting, isn’t it? Because one of the candidates was a sitting MP, formerly an MEP and the architect of Brexit… if that’s not the establishment, I’d like to know what is”

Joke candidate Count Binface has made an appearance at the Clacton by-election count.

Lee Anderson said Labour and the Tories “were scared to stand candidates since they knew that Nigel would thrash them at the ballot box”.

Speaking at an event in Clacton, the Reform UK MP told GB News: “It’s as simple as that. They are political cowards. They should be ashamed of themselves.

“I’ll tell you what – We’ll be partying into the night. We’ll be celebrating Nigel Farage’s victory – the man who’s going to take us into No 10 in about three years’ time.”

Nigel Farage said he has won the Clacton by-election “convincingly”.

Asked if he had won, the Reform UK leader told GB News: “Yeah, very convincingly, I’ve managed to beat the establishment candidate.”

He added: “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.

“Maybe I haven’t filled in a piece of paper. I’m confident that I’m right, we’ll see where we go. I put this to the people of Clacton, said ‘you decide my future’, and tonight they will.”

Mr Farage insisted he was proven “right” to call the contest as he said “attacks” and “threats” towards his family had reduced.

The Monster Raving Loony Party has arrived at Clacton Leisure Centre as the by-election count continues.

The party is standing three candidates – Nick The Incredible Flying Brick, Howling Laud Hope and Baron Von Thunderclap.

Nigel Farage’s former spin doctor Gawain Towler has said anything above 62% of the vote share would be a “big win” for the Reform UK leader.

Pollster Luke Tryl has said the number to look out for at the Clacton by-election is how many people vote for Nigel Farage compared to the 2024 general election.

He told BBC Newsnight: “What I’m interested in is because Nigel Farage has used this as a test for me versus the establishment is how much enthusiasm is there.

“I think the best benchmark for that is how does the raw number of votes that Nigel Farage gets, so he got around 21,000 in 2024, how does that compare with what he gets now? How many people actually turn out to vote for hi.

All ballot boxes have now arrived at Clacton Leisure Centre to be counted.

The provisional turnout for the Clacton by-election is approximately 43%, acting returning officer Ian Davidson has announced.

The final figure will be confirmed after verification of the ballots has been completed.

The provisional turnout figure is down 15% on the 2024 general election turnout in the constituency.

The Labour Party has said Nigel Farage “can’t run from the truth forever” as polls closed in the Clacton by-election.

Labour chairwoman Bridget 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. In fact, it’s getting longer by the day.

“It’s time to stop the excuses and desperate distractions and finally come clean with the public.

“If Farage has nothing to hide, he surely would have done so by now.”

The Conservative Party insisted the Clacton by-election would not draw a line under questions about Nigel Farage’s finances.

A Tory spokesman 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.”

The first ballot boxes have arrived at Clacton Leisure Centre.

Labour, the Tories, the Lib Dems and Restore Britain have snubbed the by-election.

Nigel Farage is facing 33 opponents including jock candidate Count Binface, actor-turned-politician Laurence Fox, three from the Official Monster Raving Loony Party and an array of independents.

The the 90cm-long ballot paper, the longest in British political history, has caused logistical problems for Tendring District Council.

Polls have closed in Nigel Farage’s “people versus the establishment” by-election in Clacton.

Polling stations in the Essex seaside constituency shut at 10pm having been open since 7am on what has been a scorching day.

The main Westminster parties are boycotting the by-election, which they have dismissed as a political stunt, but a record 34 candidates are standing.

The results are expected between 5am and 7am on Friday.

I’m at Clacton Leisure Centre where the by-election count is taking place and will be bringing you the latest updates throughout the night.