Nigel Farage sits in Wetherspoons with out pint as he seems to be to safe first seat

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was spotted taking a break from the hustle and bustle of election day by making a pit stop at an Essex pub.

Unusually for the veteran Brexiteer, he was snapped sitting without a pint inside the Moon & Starfish Wetherspoon’s pub in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. Instead, Mr Farage opted to scroll on his phone instead of having a foaming pint on election day.

The Reform UK leader did manage to meet with locals and was snapped giving a thumbs up sign with supporters. In a not-so-shocking twist, Mr Farage was later seen with a drink in his hand – surprisingly though he chose a cup of tea or coffee instead of a pint.

He also managed to get in on the election day trend of sharing a photo of himself and a dog outside a polling station. In the post shared to X/Twitter, Mr Farage was seen holding a small Bichon Frisé in his arms while stood beside the polling station sign.

The Reform UK leader is one of nine candidates who are campaigning for the seat in the south-east seaside town. He is hoping to finally enter Parliament following numerous failed attempts to secure a seat.

After Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the election, Mr Farage initially ruled himself out of the contest. But in a shock twist, the leading Brexiteer announced he would indeed stand in the coastal Essex town.

The 60-year-old previously stood as a candidate for Ukip and the Brexit Party in UK and European elections. He sat as a Member of the European Parliament for both Ukip and the Brexit Party.

After six long weeks, Mr Farage will know by this time tomorrow whether he has secured enough votes to represent Clacton in Parliament. The result is still several hours away and news publications and broadcasters are limited in what information they can share about parties and candidates on election day.

Polls remain open across the UK until 10pm tonight, although voters will need to provide some information when they arrive at their local polling station. Voters will need to give their name, address and show photo ID to staff inside the polling station.

Staff will then give you a ballot paper to take to nearby booths, where you’ll need to put a single cross in the empty box next to your chosen candidate. When you’ve voted, fold over your ballot paper and post it through the sealed ballot box.