Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, has been declared the winner of the Clacton by-election, regaining the parliamentary seat. Mr Farage secured 22,239 votes, representing 63.34% of the ballot.
Parody candidate Count Binface, whose real name is Jon Harvey, came second with 9,455 votes, accounting for 26.93% of the ballot. The by-election saw a 44% turnout.
Mr Farage did not attend the vote count at Clacton Leisure Centre, opting instead to join a gathering of his supporters at an airfield, billed as “Farage Fest”. A Reform UK spokesperson stated that Essex police had advised Mr Farage not to attend due to a “credible threat against him”, a claim the police suggested was not true.
The by-election was triggered in July when Mr Farage resigned the seat, stating it was a challenge to the establishment. Other major political parties did not stand candidates. Three hours after Mr Farage's victory was declared, a suspended parliamentary standards investigation into him, concerning accusations of undeclared gifts and donations, resumed.