Farage wins Clacton by-election as Count Binface takes more than a quarter of vote

Clacton, United Kingdom. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage won the by-election he triggered in Clacton on Friday, receiving 62.8% of the vote. His principal opponent, comedian Jonathan Harvey’s Count Binface character, won 26.7%, while turnout reached 44%.

Vote count absence

Farage did not attend the count in the southern English seaside resort, saying police had warned him of plans to disrupt the result. He also cancelled a victory speech scheduled for later on Friday.

Before the result was declared, Farage told supporters at a party that he would not appear on a stage after a “resounding victory” only to be “demeaned and humiliated by nobodies”.

Fresh mandate

The election followed Farage’s resignation from parliament last month, when he said he would seek a new mandate in what he described as a campaign against an establishment trying to discredit him over undeclared donor gifts.

Britain’s main political parties did not contest the election, describing it as a self-serving stunt. Count Binface, a recurring figure in British elections, became Farage’s leading challenger.

Count Binface’s platform included proposals to cap the price of ice cream cones and conscript people who use speakerphones on public transport.

Funding investigation

The result highlighted risks in Farage’s decision to call the election, as a parliamentary inquiry into his finances is due to resume.

Reform’s standing in national opinion polls has declined after a prolonged period of leading the polls, partly following allegations concerning Farage’s funding. Parliament is investigating whether he should have declared a £5 million ($6.75 million) gift from a cryptocurrency billionaire investor.

Laura Richards-Gray, a politics lecturer at Birkbeck University in London, said the lack of major-party candidates weakened Farage’s effort to portray the contest as one between the public and the establishment.

“This has backfired, particularly nationally, as Farage lost control of the narrative,” she said.