Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has won the Clacton by-election, retaining the Essex seat with 22,239 votes according to the declaration read out by the acting returning officer. The result, which had been widely anticipated through the night, confirmed Farage as the clear winner of a contest he had himself triggered. Among the large field of candidates, the comedian and novelty candidate Count Binface finished in second place, well behind the Reform leader.
Farage was quick to frame the outcome as a vindication. His total of 22,239 votes was higher than the 21,225 votes he received when he first won the seat at the 2024 general election. Speaking to supporters overnight, he claimed he had secured far more votes than in that general election, arguing that this showed he was even more popular in the constituency now, despite the various allegations he has been facing.
Turnout in the by-election was around 44%, down by roughly 14 percentage points on the 2024 general election in the constituency. Analysts noted that, by the standards of recent by-elections during this Parliament, that level of turnout was relatively respectable, especially given that the poll fell in the middle of August, during the holiday season, and on one of the hottest days of the year.
The unusual nature of the contest stemmed from the fact that Farage had called it himself. In July he announced he would resign his seat to trigger the by-election, saying he wanted the voters of Clacton, rather than what he described as the establishment, to be his judge. The move came against the backdrop of questions over a five million pound crypto donation and an investigation by Parliament into whether he should have declared it.
The main Westminster parties all boycotted the by-election, with the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats declining to field candidates and describing the exercise as a stunt. That left a record field of 34 candidates and a ballot paper described as almost a metre long. Among the smaller results read out were a Rejoin EU candidate on 492 votes, an independent on 432, Lawrence Fox for the Reclaim Party on 347 and a Social Democratic Party candidate on 256.
With the established parties standing aside, Count Binface emerged as Farage's most prominent challenger and ultimately finished second. The candidate, known for a comic public persona, had been widely tipped during the night to take the runner-up spot, an outcome that opponents seized upon to argue that the by-election was not a serious contest and told voters little about the wider national picture.
The night was also marked by controversy over Farage's absence. He did not attend the count and cancelled a victory speech and press conference that had been planned for later in the morning. There was a dispute over whether he had been advised to stay away, with Farage saying he had been warned of an organised campaign to disrupt the result and Reform UK citing a credible threat, while Essex Police stated they had not advised any candidate not to attend. The parliamentary investigation into the five million pound donation continues, and could yet lead to a recall petition.