Clacton used to be famous for something other than Nigel Farage. As well as its golden age as a seaside resort, back in the 1960s, it was a place to experience vibrant youth culture.
Radio Caroline, the pirate radio broadcaster was anchored offshore. Local residents would park up on the beach and flash their car lights at the ship. Local historian, Roger Kennell, even remembers boat trips to see Caroline, where “young people would toss song requests on deck”. It was something to be proud of on the north Essex coast.
Today, Farage, leader of Reform UK, has chosen Clacton in his eighth attempt to get elected to parliament. So-called “left behind” places are considered fertile ground for populist politics, and so Farage’s selection of Clacton is of little surprise. But populism does not offer a voice to the town. Instead it helps to silence the harsh experience of seaside decline, and cuts off avenues for people to articulate feelings of genuine pride in the places they live.
