Farage re-elected in Clacton by-election

Nigel Farage has been re-elected as MP for Clacton, after resigning his seat to trigger a by-election.

The Reform UK leader won 22,239 votes, 63.3 per cent of the total, in the by-election held on 13 August. The result was declared in the early hours of 14 August.

Count Binface second

The main parties, Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens, did not stand candidates. That left Count Binface, the novelty candidate who wears a bin on his head, as Farage's main challenger.

Binface came second with 9,455 votes, 26.9 per cent. That is thought to be the highest vote share ever recorded by a novelty candidate at a British parliamentary election.

A record 34 candidates stood, the most in any parliamentary election in British history. All of the other 32 candidates lost their deposits.

Turnout was 44.4 per cent.

Why Farage resigned

Farage announced on 7 July that he would resign his seat and stand again, describing the contest as a battle between the people and the establishment.

His decision came amid parliamentary scrutiny of his personal finances, and allegations about undeclared gifts and support. Earlier this year, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards ruled that he had broken the rules by failing to register financial interests in time.

An investigation into a £5 million donation has been reopened following his election win.

The constituency

Clacton, on the Essex coast, includes Clacton-on-Sea, Frinton-on-Sea, Walton-on-the-Naze and Jaywick. It voted strongly to leave the European Union in 2016. Farage first won the seat at the 2024 general election, at his eighth attempt to become an MP.

The constituency has a history of backing populist candidates. In 2014, Douglas Carswell won a by-election there after defecting from the Conservatives to UKIP.

What it means

With the main parties not standing, critics say the result tells little about his real level of support.

Reform UK has been leading many national opinion polls, and made big gains in the local elections in May.