The investigation into Nigel Farage's £5 million donation has been prised back open now he is re-elected as an MP.
The Reform UK leader is being investigated for failing to declare the multimillion-pound donation from party donor Christopher Harborne, made weeks before Mr Farage stood in the 2024 general election.
It comes after Mr Farage won the Clacton by-election, but he did not attend the count over disputed claims of a “credible threat” against him.
The Reform UK leader secured 22,232 votes, comfortably winning the by-election he triggered by deciding to stand down amidst ongoing scrutiny over his financial affairs. His next closest challenger, Count Binface, secured 9455 votes.
However, Mr Farage did not appear at the count alongside the other candidates after he claimed that Essex Police informed him about a threat against him.
However, Essex Police said it had "robust" policing in place at the count and did not tell any candidate not to attend, The Independent understands.
Mr Farage was due to make what was billed as a “major speech” in Clacton at 10.30am on Friday, but Reform cancelled it.
Key Points
- Breaking: Farage investigation reopened by parliamentary commissioner
- Nigel Farage wins by-election with 22,232 votes
- Absent Farage receives muted response as he's declared winner of Clacton by-election
- Nigel Farage boycotts result announcement and cancels victory speech over security concerns
- Count Binface 'gratified' after finishing second in Clacton by-election
- Clacton by-election result in full: Farage wins, Count Binface sees record support and one candidate gets seven votes
Clacton election results since 2010
16:30 , Bryony Gooch
Recap: Clacton results in full as Farage resecures seat
16:00 , Bryony Gooch
Recap: Lee Anderson claims Farage didn't attend Clacton results due to 'planned disruption'
15:45 , Bryony Gooch
Facing questions about the party’s claim of a threat on Friday, Reform chief whip Lee Anderson said Nigel Farage had not attended the count at Clacton Leisure Centre because he had been told of “some planned disruption”.
Mr Anderson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Well he was told, and he said this in his speech earlier about five hours ago, that there was some planned disruption amongst I think it was some of the other candidates. I think that was the case.
“So why go there when you’ve got you know 35, sorry, 33 other other candidates who, and their teams… Why would you go there and listen to them being abusive when you can be with real people from the real world?”
Asked about the difference between disruption and a “credible threat”, Mr Anderson said: “It’s not up to you at the BBC to decide whether or not there’s a credible threat.
“It’s up to Nigel and his security team, and that’s the end of that question.”
Mr Anderson told BBC Breakfast he had not spoken to his party leader about the issue but said: “I believe Nigel above the police.”
In pictures: Clacton candidates line up as results announced
15:27 , Bryony Gooch
Reform Scotland leader says parties 'feart to stand up against Farage'
15:03 , Holly Evans
Other parties did not field candidates in the Clacton by-election because they were “feart to stand up against Nigel Farage”, Reform Scotland’s deputy leader has said.
Reform UK leader Mr Farage won the Clacton by-election on Thursday with 22,239 votes, however the other main Westminster parties boycotted the vote after dismissing it as a stunt.
But Thomas Kerr, the deputy leader of Reform in Scotland, claimed the Westminster parties had instead been fearful of standing against Mr Farage.
He told BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast on Friday: “There was not a Labour candidate, there wasn’t a Conservative candidate, wasn’t a Green candidate, wasn’t a Lib Dem candidate, wasn’t a Restore candidate, because every single one of them were feart to stand up against Nigel Farage.”
Despondent Clacton reacts to Farage’s return: ‘It’s a joke of a by-election and you have to treat it like a joke’
14:39 , Holly Evans
A sunny Friday by Clacton beach is doing little to lift Max Barrett’s mood.
His pick to be the constituency’s next MP, Count Binface, might have won a record 9,455 votes, but it wasn’t enough to defeat Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who was re-elected with 22,239 votes.
Mr Barrett, who has just finished college, is not looking forward to having Mr Farage as his representative in Westminster once again.
“He's never here. I've only seen him on Tuesday and Wednesday when loads of cameras were here”, the 19-year-old tells The Independent.
“It's never for the area; it's when it's a good photo op, really. I don't agree with a lot of his policies either.”
Read the full analysis from our reporter Dan Haygarth here:
Despondent Clacton reacts to Farage’s return in ‘joke by-election’
Burnham commissions firefighting planes to tackle wildfires in bid to 'face up' to climate change
14:26 , Holly Evans
Prime minister Andy Burnham said the country has to “face up” to the “changing climate” and needs to transition to “more clean energy”.
He said the government will commission firefighting planes to combat the spread of wildfires, saying it “would have made a difference” in tackling the Stourbridge blaze.
An “emergency financial support” package is being drawn up for fire services battling the summer wildfires.
A temporary ban has also come into force on disposable barbecues on Friday, with retailers asked to implement the ban until further notice.
He said his message to the public was not to light an open fire “of any kind” and to dispose of cigarettes carefully amid a “combustible” situation, adding: “You are taking risks with other people’s home, with other people’s lives, if you act recklessly.”
BREAKING NEWS: Disposable barbecues temporarily banned as UK battles multiple wildfires
14:15 , Joe Middleton
The government has issued a temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues as they pose a “significant risk to the public” due to the heatwave conditions, according to advice published online.
The single-use grills “have been the cause of a number of serious wildfires across the country over the summer months”, advice published online by the government said.
It added: “Disposable barbecues cannot be considered a safe product in the context of the ongoing weather and environmental conditions and must not be made available for sale either in store or online at the current time.”
Disposable barbecues banned as UK battles several wildfires
Why Nigel Farage could face a second by-election in Clacton
13:48 , Joe Middleton
Nigel Farage has retained his seat in Clacton-on-Sea after beating Count Binface in a by-election triggered in the wake of a series of financial scandals - but he could he face a second by-election if an investigation by the parliamentary standards commissioner doesn’t go his way.
Before quitting Westminster, Mr Farage was being investigated by the parliamentary standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg over a £5m gift from cryptocurrency tycoon Christopher Harborne, which he received before taking his seat in the Commons.
Under Commons rules, new MPs are required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift “could not be reasonably thought by others” to relate to their political activities.
While Mr Harborne has donated more than £25m to Reform UK in total, Mr Farage has repeatedly said that he was not required to register the £5m “gift” because it was purely personal.
Why Nigel Farage could face a second by-election in Clacton
Watch: Count Binface 'gratified' after finishing second in Clacton by-election
13:34 , Joe Middleton
Clacton by-election result in full: Nigel Farage wins, Count Binface sees record support and one candidate gets seven votes
12:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The Reform UK leader will return to parliament with a boosted vote share of 63 per cent from the coastal constituency, and having received just over 1000 more votes overall than in 2024.
Here are the results in full:
Clacton results in full: Nigel Farage wins – but Count Binface sees record support
Lee Anderson suggests 'planned disruption' stopped Farage from attending vote count
12:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Lee Anderson appeared to suggest Nigel Farage had not attended the Clacton by-election count as there was “some planned disruption”.
Reform UK previously said the party leader had been advised not to attend by police due to a “credible threat” but this has been contested.
Asked whether there had been a credible threat made against him, Reform MP Mr Anderson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Well, he was told, and he said this in his speech earlier about five hours ago, that there was some planned disruption amongst I think it was some of the other candidates. I think that was the case.
“So why go there when you’ve got you know 35, sorry, 33 other other candidates who and their team… Why would you go there and listen to them being abusive when you can be with real people from the real world?
”Pressed on whether there was a difference between disruption and a “credible threat”, he said: “It’s not up to you at the BBC to decide whether or not there’s a credible threat.
“It’s up to Nigel and his security team, and that’s the end of that question.”
Why has the investigation into Farage been reopened?
12:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The parliamentary investigation into a £5 million gift received by Nigel Farage has resumed after he won the Clacton by-election.
When Nigel Farage stood down as an MP, the investigation was paused.
But following his victory, the probe over an alleged failure to declare an interest is now ongoing again after it was opened on May 13, according to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards’ website.
Farage may have won the battle for Clacton, but he’s losing the country
11:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Reform leader forced a by-election to try to escape a political crisis but may simply have postponed, and even intensified, the inevitable, writes Kate Devlin:
The by-election campaign in Clacton, with a man with a bin on his head a favourite among the record 34 candidates, was not short of a few surprises.
But news that Nigel Farage has reclaimed his seat will come as a shock to no one.
The Reform UK leader will hail today's result in Clacton as a victory against the establishment after taking 62.8 per cent of the vote, with his chief rival, Count Binface, in a distant second with 26.71 per cent.
Farage may have won the battle for Clacton, but he’s losing the country
Nigel Farage retains seat in Clacton by-election but refuses to attend result due to ‘threats’
11:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Nigel Farage has retained his seat in Clacton-on-Sea after beating Count Binface in a by-election triggered in the wake of a series of financial scandals.
The Reform UK leader won the contest - which is estimated to have cost taxpayers about £250,000 - with 22,232 votes from his supporters in the Essex constituency.
But his closest rival - satirical candidate Count Binface - managed to sweep up over 20 per cent of the ballot with almost 10,000 votes.
After forcing the contest with his resignation last month, the Reform UK MP refused to attend the count in the Essex constituency over disputed claims of a “credible threat” against him.
Farage retains seat in Clacton by-election but refuses to attend result
'I believe Nigel above the police': Lee Anderson responds to claim about threat
11:19 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Lee Anderson said he had not spoken to Nigel Farage about the claim he had been advised not to attend the Clacton by-election count.
Asked about the claim that Essex Police had advised him not to attend, which the Press Association understands is not the case, 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.”
‘This is not in my contract’: Reporter gets stranded on ‘Farage fest’ ferris wheel in Clacton
11:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A GB News correspondent found himself stranded on a fairground ferris wheel last night as he reported on Nigel Farage’s election victory in Clacton.
Footage shows journalist Christopher Hope stranded on the ride during the Reform leader’s ‘Farage Fest’, hosted in the seaside town to celebrate the by-election result.
The fairground attraction gradually speeds up as Mr Hope delivers his live broadcast, before coming to an abrupt stop.
Reporter gets stranded on ‘Farage fest’ ferris wheel in Clacton
Tory chairman says reopening of investigation into Farage's donation is 'right thing to happen'
10:48 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake said the reopening of the investigation into Nigel Farage is “right”.
Speaking to Sky News, he said: “Well, that's the right thing to happen.
“This is not a trivial matter, it's £5m.
“And the rules are there, in place, not just to stop somebody getting rich, but to make sure any receipt of any kind of donation or gift, doesn't affect people's judgement.”
He added: “The rules have been in place for 10 years around these kinds of matters, and it's very important that we all play by the same rules.”
Count Binface makes 'victory speech'
10:34 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Watch the political satirist make his “victory speech” after he gained 9,455 votes in the Clacton by-election.
I came first in the Clacton by-election! Of the candidates who bothered to turn up for the results. Here is my victory speech! pic.twitter.com/PBaLO10P2j
— Count Binface (@CountBinface) August 14, 2026
Why Nigel Farage could face a second by-election in Clacton
10:23 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Nigel Farage has retained his seat in Clacton-on-Sea after beating Count Binface in a by-election triggered in the wake of a series of financial scandals - but he could he face a second by-election if an investigation by the parliamentary standards commissioner doesn’t go his way.
Before quitting Westminster, Mr Farage was being investigated by the parliamentary standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg over a £5m gift from cryptocurrency tycoon Christopher Harborne, which he received before taking his seat in the Commons.
Under Commons rules, new MPs are required to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift “could not be reasonably thought by others” to relate to their political activities.
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke writes:
Why Nigel Farage could face a second by-election in Clacton
Watch: Count Binface 'gratified' after finishing second in Clacton by-election
10:12 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Independent candidate calls by-election 'farce'
09:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Independent candidate Marc Wilkinson, who won 11 votes in the by-election, condemned the entire process, which he called a “farce”.
He told The Independent: “People in Clacton have really felt ridiculed and mocked by the whole face of the whole thing. The whole farce of Farage standing down in the first place, totally unnecceeearily, the farce of all the main parties not standing and the farce of the media frenzy around the farce itself of Count Binface.”
Mr Wilkinson, from Edinburgh, is in the process of setting up a party called Essex People, which he believes can restore faith in democracy by removing the party whip system and donations.
He described Nigel Farage’s no-show at the count as “shocking”, adding: “In one way I wasn’t surprised, but I was surprised, because I purposely had my extra special rosette designed to get some exposure for the project.”
Mr Wilkinson is now preparing for the prospect of a second by-election in this constituency.
If Mr Farage is found to have broken Parliament’s code of conduct by the commissioner, sanctions could range from a forced apology to a suspension from Commons.
Should he be suspended from Commons for 10 or more sitting days, constituents in Clacton are able to trigger another by-election if 10 per cent of eligible voters sign a recall petition.
About that, Mr Wilkinson said: “There only needs to be one by-election, there never needed to be two. The second by-election will be prompted - not by Farage or the standards committee, it will be prompted and caused the Clactonian electorate, if 10 per cent of them go to vote to recall him.
“I think Farage will try to persuade them not to do that, because they will just be forcing a second by-election.”
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Police contest Nigel Farage’s claim he stayed away from Clacton count because of ‘credible threat’
09:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Police have contested Nigel Farage’s claims that he was told by officers not to attend the Clacton -by-election count due to a “credible threat” against him.
The Reform UK leader pre-empted the result by telling supporters he had won “fairly convincingly”, adding that he would not attend the official declaration at Clacton Leisure Centre because Essex Police had told him about an “organised campaign to disrupt and degrade the result”.
A Reform UK spokesperson later said: “Essex Police advised Nigel not to attend the count tonight due to a credible threat against him.”
However, The Independent understands Essex Police did not tell Mr Farage, or any other candidate, not to attend the count.
Read more from our political correspondent Millie Cooke here:
Police contest Farage ‘credible threat’ claim as Reform leader avoids Clacton count
Why has the investigation into Farage been reopened?
09:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The parliamentary investigation into a £5 million gift received by Nigel Farage has resumed after he won the Clacton by-election.
When Nigel Farage stood down as an MP, the investigation was paused.
But following his victory, the probe over an alleged failure to declare an interest is now ongoing again after it was opened on May 13, according to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards’ website.
Breaking: Farage investigation reopened by parliamentary commissioner
09:08 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The investigation into Nigel Farage's donations has been reopened.
The Reform UK leader is being investigated for failing to declare the multimillion-pound donation from party donor Christopher Harborne, made weeks before Mr Farage stood in the 2024 general election.
Lee Anderson suggests 'planned disruption' stopped Farage from attending vote count
08:59 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Lee Anderson appeared to suggest Nigel Farage had not attended the Clacton by-election count as there was “some planned disruption”.
Reform UK previously said the party leader had been advised not to attend by police due to a “credible threat” but this has been contested.
Asked whether there had been a credible threat made against him, Reform MP Mr Anderson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Well, he was told, and he said this in his speech earlier about five hours ago, that there was some planned disruption amongst I think it was some of the other candidates. I think that was the case.
“So why go there when you’ve got you know 35, sorry, 33 other other candidates who and their team… Why would you go there and listen to them being abusive when you can be with real people from the real world?
”Pressed on whether there was a difference between disruption and a “credible threat”, he said: “It’s not up to you at the BBC to decide whether or not there’s a credible threat.
“It’s up to Nigel and his security team, and that’s the end of that question.”
What the results actually indicate for Farage- analysis
08:39 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Luke Tryl, UK director at More in Common, said: “The result is a tale of two numbers. Farage’s raw vote total of 22,000, above his 2024 vote, in an August, semi-uncontested by-election, is impressive, suggesting no diminution of enthusiasm among his supporters, and some new converts.
“But his 63 per cent vote share is at the lower end of expectations, a reminder that his opponents are highly motivated to turn out too, whoever the main challenger is, giving Binface nearly 10,000 votes.
“That doesn’t matter in Clacton, which had the highest combined ‘right’ vote in the country in 2024. But in swing seats, where the opposition unites, and the Tories refuse to be squeezed, the ‘anti-Farage’ vote becomes a real problem. We saw anti-Reform tactical voting and turnout play out in Makerfield and in Gorton and Denton.
“In our Clacton focus groups we heard both sides. Voters who enthusiastically backed Farage and saw the finance row as an establishment stitch-up, or “no worse than what other politicians do”, but also many on the right, including former Conservative voters, angered by what they saw as an unnecessary by-election and willing to vote, or sit the contest out, in order to send Farage a message.
“That intensity mattered less under Starmer, when the left were more divided. But if Andy Burnham manages to unite the left and lead Labour into the next General Election, there will be a greater premium on Reform thinking about how to detoxify their brand, both to win back their wavering voters and to reassure the wider public to avoid mobilising the anti-Farage vote.”
Clacton results in numbers
08:29 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Here we take a closer look at the results:
'I don't know what's gone on here'- Phillipson on Farage's security claims
08:18 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Bridget Phillipson said police were “used to dealing with high-profile situations” but it was “hard to know” what had happened that meant Nigel Farage did not attend the Clacton by-election count.
Asked about Reform UK’s contested claim that police had advised him not to go, she told Sky News: “Well, of course, the safety of politicians is of the utmost importance and no-one should face threats or intimidation because of who they are and the job that they’re seeking to do.
“I don’t know exactly what’s gone on here, but like you, I’ve heard what the police have had to say, that they’ve pushed back a bit on on that suggestion, and I know that Nigel Farage is facing some criticism, even from within his own ranks, that he’s not, wasn’t, prepared to be at the count.
“And, you know, those who are responsible for running counts and the police oversight of that, they’re used to dealing with high-profile situations. But, you know, I think people will come to their own conclusions. It’s hard to know. Nigel Farage has given one version of events and we’ve heard something a bit different from the police responsible.”
Bridget Phillipson: 'No hiding place now for Farage'
08:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Bridget Phillipson said there was “no hiding place now” for Nigel Farage after the Clacton by-election concluded and he must “answer to the public”.
The Labour chairwoman told Sky News: “Nigel Farage can set out to the public exactly what’s been going on in recent weeks and months, all of the sleaze and the scandal that Reform has been engulfed in, whether it’s the £5 million dodgy gift or his connections to a convicted fraudster, these are just piling up.
“There’s no hiding place now and Nigel Farage needs to answer to the public as to exactly what’s going on. And this distraction by-election, that’s out of the way now, so we can get on with it.”
Analysis: Farage may have won the battle for Clacton, but he’s losing the country
08:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Reform leader forced a by-election to try to escape a political crisis but may simply have postponed, and even intensified, the inevitable, writes Kate Devlin:
The by-election campaign in Clacton, with a man with a bin on his head a favourite among the record 34 candidates, was not short of a few surprises.
But news that Nigel Farage has reclaimed his seat will come as a shock to no one.
The Reform UK leader will hail today's result in Clacton as a victory against the establishment after taking 62.8 per cent of the vote, with his chief rival, Count Binface, in a distant second with 26.71 per cent.
Farage may have won the battle for Clacton, but he’s losing the country
Clacton by-election result in full: Farage wins, Count Binface sees record support and one candidate gets seven votes
07:53 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Nigel Farage is the MP for Clacton once again after winning the by-election he triggered just over a month ago.
The Reform UK leader will return to parliament with a boosted vote share of 63 per cent from the coastal constituency, and having received just over 100 more votes overall than in 2024.
Political satirist Count Binface came second, receiving just under 27 per cent of the vote – more than Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Greens combined in the 2024 general election, and nearly equal to the Conservatives.
Read more from Albert Toth here:
Clacton results in full: Farage retains seat – but Count Binface sees record support
'The voters didn't view this election as a farce'- Sir John Curtice
07:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Sir John Curtice said voters turned out in “numbers that are quite healthy by the standards of modern by-elections” in Clacton.
The professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde said Nigel Farage did not do as well as David Davis, who won 72 per cent of the vote in 2008, “in the one by-election that is most similar to this one”.
Sir John told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: “The argument that was being used by Farage’s opponents is this was a stunt; it was a farce, as exemplified by the fact that Count Binface was seemingly his own serious candidate.
“Reform will now be able to point out not only as a result of the high turnout, the number of votes that they’ve got, but that also that evidently at 44 per cent, the turnout is 10 points above what happened in David Davis’s by-election.
“It’s not much below what it was in either Runcorn or Gorton and Denton in the by-elections there, and it was actually higher than the two parliamentary by-elections in Scotland recently.
“Therefore, I think they will be able to argue that, for the voters at least, it is not obvious that they regarded this as a stunt or a farce.
“They did turn out in numbers that are quite healthy by the standards of modern by-elections.”
Richard Tice says it was Farage's team who judged 'concern and threats' around vote count
07:38 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Deputy Reform leader Richard Tice suggested it was Nigel Farage’s “team” who judged that “there was sufficient anxiety, and concern, and threats” which meant he should avoid the count.
Asked if he could say anything else about the information the party claimed to have received, he told GB News: “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.”
'I believe Nigel above the police': Lee Anderson responds to claim about threat
07:29 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Lee Anderson said he had not spoken to Nigel Farage about the claim he had been advised not to attend the Clacton by-election count.
Asked about the claim that Essex Police had advised him not to attend, which the Press Association understands is not the case, 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.”
Watch: Count Binface 'gratified' after finishing second in Clacton by-election
07:23 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Nigel Farage boycotts result announcement and cancels victory speech
07:18 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Nigel Farage has won the Clacton by-election, but he did not attend the count over disputed claims of a “credible threat” against him.
The Reform UK leader secured 22,232 votes, comfortably winning the by-election he triggered by deciding to stand down amidst ongoing scrutiny over his financial affairs. His next closest challenger, Count Binface, secured 9455 votes.
However, Mr Farage did not appear at the count alongside the other candidates after he claimed that Essex Police informed him about a threat against him.
He told reporters: "I am damned if I am going to stand on a stage, having won a resounding victory.... and be demeaned and humiliated by nobodies."
However, Essex Police said it had "robust" policing in place at the count and did not tell any candidate not to attend, The Independent understands.
Farage has one line response to critics dismissing his win
07:00 , Namita Singh
Nigel Farage said his win in the Clacton by-election “speaks for itself”.
In a one-line post on X, featuring a photograph of him taken at the overnight “Farage-Fest” in his constituency, the Reform UK leader said: “The result in Clacton speaks for itself.”
Mr Farage did not attend the election count where his victory was announced, amid claims of an “organised campaign” that sought to “humiliate him” at the results.
The result in Clacton speaks for itself. pic.twitter.com/iQeaYxT35J
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) August 14, 2026
A Reform UK spokesperson said Essex Police had reported a “credible threat” against Mr Farage, though it is also understood that police did not advise any candidates to avoid the count.
Police contest Nigel Farage’s ‘credible threat’ claim as Reform UK leader avoids Clacton count
06:54 , Namita Singh
Police contest Farage ‘credible threat’ claim as Reform leader avoids Clacton count
Full results from record-breaking Clacton by-election
06:39 , Namita Singh
Nigel Farage has won the Clacton by-election with a majority of 12,784 over Count Binface, in a contest with the largest number of candidates ever at 34.
Here are the full results.
Joseph 77 (Independent) – 42
Adham Alkhatip (The Forward Party) – 49
Count Binface (Count Binface Party) – 9,455
Nick The Incredible Flying Brick (The Official Monster Raving Loony Party) – 28
Tony Cane (Independent) – 17
Woke Trump Carrzee (Independent) – 17
William Clouston (Social Democratic Party) – 256
Rees Cowne (Independent) – 50
Glenn Cummings (Independent) – 7
Martin Davies (Freedom Alliance) – 60
Andy Erlam (Independent) – 44
Nigel Farage (Reform UK) – 22,239
Attieh Fard (Independent) – 126
Laurence Fox (The Reclaim Party) – 347
Tony Francis (Independent) – 432
Robin Green (Independent) – 59
Abi Hookway (Independent) – 14
Howling Laud Hope (The Official Monster Raving Loony Party) – 18
Stephen Ingram (Independent) – 159
Amy Morris (Independent) – 46
Derrick Morris (Independent) – 100
Martyn OBrien (Independent) – 65
Michael O’Keeffe (Independent) – 19
Nick Pelas (Independent) – 202
Ketankumar Pipaliya (UK Voice) – 21
Daniel Pocock (Independent) – 16
James Ransley (Consensus Party) – 192
Gerry Smith (Independent) – 9
Kai Stephens (British Democrats) – 132
John Stevens (Rejoin EU) – 492
Baron Von Thunderclap (The Official Monster Raving Loony Party) – 15
Pamela Walford (Independent) – 371
Marcus White (Everyone is God Party) – 10
Marc Wilkinson (Independent) – 11
The turnout was 44.37 per cent. There were 280 spoiled ballots.
Farage receives low vote share up against joke candidates
06:32 , Athena Stavrou
Nigel Farage may have improved his vote share on Thursday, but it falls below previously set precedents for similar by-election.
In 2008, David Davis also competed in a contest which no other major party took part in, and took 72 per cent of the vote.
But as The Independent’s political editor David Maddox points out, the Reform UK leader only managed to secure 62 per cent of the vote - despite being up against a series of joke or fringe candidates.
With the results in 62% for Farage against joke and fringe rival candidates is poor and comes below the David Davis 2008 threshold.
— David Maddox (@DavidPBMaddox) August 14, 2026
27% for Binface is better than expected. https://t.co/w0fHY0RxTW
Analysis: Farage’s by-election victory against a man dressed as a bin will do nothing to quiet his critics
06:26 , Namita Singh
The Independent’s Athena Stavrou reports from the Clacton by-election count:
Nigel Farage has just won what he will most certainly hail as a major victory in Clacton - but it won't really matter to his opponents.
The Reform UK leader was left battling a man dressed as a bin this summer in what he called a fight against the ‘establishment’, yet still managed to lose almost 10,000 votes to him.
One thing’s for certain, the result won't end the mounting questions over his financial affairs, despite him forcing the by-election in an effort to clear his name.
It’s rather unclear what he's managed to prove in this truly bizarre contest.
'Mountain of sleaze and scandal' has grown under Farage
06:21 , Athena Stavrou
The Independent’s Athena Stavrou reports from the Clacton by-election count:
Bridget Phillipson MP, Chair of the Labour Party, commenting on the result of the Clacton by-election, 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.”
Absent Farage receives muted response as he's declared winner of Clacton by-election
06:20 , Athena Stavrou
The Independent’s Athena Stavrou reports from the Clacton by-election count:
After a long overnight count, Nigel Farage has been re-elected as Clacton’s MP - but he was nowhere to be found.
Evidently, also not in the room were his supporters, with very little vocal celebration when his vote count was read out.
Meanwhile, candidates from the Monster Raving Loony party and his main rival Count Binface all received cheers from the crowd gathered at the count - despite losing by a large margin.
Farage wins in Clacton as police contest credible threat claim at count
06:17 , Namita Singh
Nigel Farage has won the Clacton by-election amid contested claims he was told by police not to attend the election count due to a “credible threat” against him.
The Reform UK leader pre-empted the official declaration by telling supporters he had won “fairly convincingly” and the result on the hottest day of the year was an “overwhelming endorsement” of him.
However, he said he would not attend the official declaration of the result at Clacton Leisure Centre as Essex Police had told him about an “organised campaign to disrupt and degrade the result”.
A Reform UK spokesperson later said: “Essex Police advised Nigel not to attend the count tonight due to a credible threat against him.”
The Press Association reported that Essex Police did not tell Mr Farage, or any other candidate, not to attend the count.
A spokesperson for Essex Police said: “We have a proportionate and robust policing operation to ensure the safety and security of all participants in the count.”
Breaking: Nigel Farage wins by-election with 22,232 votes
06:07 , Athena Stavrou
The Independent’s Athena Stavrou reports from the Clacton by-election count:
Nigel Farage has taken 22,232 votes, comfortably winning the by-election, though it's still a stronger performance for Count Binface than many could have anticipated some weeks ago.
Count Binface takes 9,455 votes
06:05 , Athena Stavrou
The results are being announced now, with Count Binface taking 9,455. Given the number of candidates, reading the full results is going to take a few minutes.
Results expected imminently
05:59 , Namita Singh
It’s almost 6am in Clacton and we are expecting the results of the by-election to be declared immediately.
The candidates have gathered and the press are heading to the floor to hear the declaration.
Essex Police 'did not advise any candidates to avoid count'
05:34 , Namita Singh
Nigel Farage claimed victory in the Clacton by-election but said he would not go to the count because of what Reform UK said was a “credible threat” against him.
A Reform UK spokesperson later said: “Essex Police advised Nigel not to attend the count tonight due to a credible threat against him.”
However, according to the Press Association, Essex Police did not tell Mr Farage, or any other candidate, not to attend the count.
A spokesperson for Essex Police said: “We have a proportionate and robust policing operation to ensure the safety and security of all participants in the count.”
Live: Counting continues in Clacton by-election for Farage vs. Count Binface showdown
05:27 , Namita Singh
Farage shuns Clacton by-election count after advice from Essex Police
05:26 , Namita Singh
Nigel Farage has said he will not attend the Clacton by-election count after advice from Essex Police about a plot to embarrass him on stage during the announcement of the result.
The Reform UK leader pre-empted the official announcement of the result of the by-election by telling supporters he had secured more votes than when he won the seat at the 2024 general election.
Mr Farage called the result a “convincing, overwhelming win” that would surpass the 21,225 votes he received just two years ago.
However, speaking at a “Farage Fest” event in Essex, organised by Reform UK, that he would dodge the traditional declaration of the results after being given notice of an “organised campaign” to “disrupt and degrade the result”.
Acting returning officer Ian Davidson said it was Mr Farage’s decision “whether or not to attend the count”.
Latest pictures from Clacton count
05:14 , Athena Stavrou
Clacton official says did not know Farage would not attend count
05:12 , Namita Singh
Clacton by-election acting returning officer Ian Davidson said he did not know that Nigel Farage would not attend the count until the Reform UK leader announced in a speech to his supporters elsewhere in Essex.
A spokesperson for Reform UK said: “Essex Police advised Nigel not to attend the count tonight due to a credible threat against him.”
Essex Police said: “The Tendring District Council press office have a statement from the returning officer, Ian Davidson, relating to this so if you contact them they should be able to assist.”
