Nigel Farage has won the Clacton by-election after he resigned as an MP in July amid scrutiny over his personal finances – The Mirror takes a look at what happens next
Nigel Farage has won the Clacton by-election – but failed to accept his victory at the count on the night.
The under-fire Reform UK leader received 22,239 votes in the Clacton by-election, ensuring he will return as the constituency’s MP. He only slightly increased the 21, 255 votes he won from at the 2024 election – by fewer than 1,000 votes.
His main rival, parody candidate Count Binface, was backed by nearly 10,000 people. He won in 9,455 votes – a significant number for a man dressed as a bin.
All the major parties boycotted the race, dismissing it as a stunt and a gimmick to avoid scrutiny over a £5million gift Mr Farage received shortly before the 2024 general election. Labour said the Clacton by-election was “no victory for Nigel Farage” and “shows he likely has so much to hide”.
But what happens next? The Mirror takes a look at what will follow Mr Farage’s by-election result.
Friday speech cancelled
Mr Farage failed to turn up at the count to give a victory speech – a controversial decision.
He claimed the police had warned him against attending but the Mirror understands police did not request that any candidate avoid the count. Essex Police said it had “a proportionate and robust policing operation to ensure the safety and security of all participants” at Clacton.
The Reform leader was also due to give a speech later on Friday morning but that has similarly been cancelled. Instead, he responded to the result at a private event in Clacton, dubbed ‘Farage Fest’ by Reform, with GB News the only media outlet present. Perhaps this was to avoid a lot of unwelcome photos of Mr Farage standing next to a man dressed as a human rubbish bin.
Farage becomes an MP… again
The former MP for Clacton has now been re-elected as… the MP for Clacton.
The by-election, which is estimated to have cost £250,000 due to its record 34 candidates, has amounted to a media circus in Clacton. Voters were forced to go to the ballot to re-elect someone they’d already elected in 2024.
Mr Farage is now expected to have to be sworn in as MP – again. All MPs are required by law to take an oath of allegiance to the Crown – known as swearing in – if they want to take their seats. Parliament is currently not sitting, with MPs having returned to their constituencies for the summer recess, so he won’t make an official return to the Commons until September.
Probe into £5million gift restarts
An investigation into the £5million gift Mr Farage received and did not declare is expected to restart. He was accused of calling the by-election to dodge scrutiny over the cash.
The probe paused when Mr Farage resigned in July, triggering the contest. The Reform UK leader claimed he wanted Clacton voters to judge him, instead of the “establishment”.
Under the Commons’ code of conduct protocol, if an MP ceases to be an MP while an investigation is in progress, the Commissioner will suspend their investigation until they are re-elected. Now Mr Farage has been re-elected, the investigation should be reopened.
In May, Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, confirmed he would investigate the alleged failure to declare the £5m sum, which Mr Farage received from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne shortly before the 2024 general election. Under Parliamentary rules, new MPs must declare any potentially relevant gifts or donations received in the 12 months before they enter the Commons.
The Reform leader had initially insisted the money was to pay for his security. But he later said it’s not the public’s business how he spends the £5m – and he was free to splash it on Ferraris or betting on horseracing if he wants.
Possible punishments after investigation
If Mr Farage is found to have breached MPs’ rules, the Standards Commissioner – who is independent – could impose a sanction.
Lesser sanctions include an apology or correcting the record in the House of Commons.
If the Commissioner believes there has been a serious rule breach, he will send his report to the committee on standards, which is made up of MPs and non-MPs. If the committee decides a serious sanction, such as a suspension, is necessary, this will then need to be approved by the House of Commons.
This could lead to another by-election in Clacton… see more below.
Another by-election in Clacton?
Voters in Clacton could soon find themselves facing another by-election in the area.
If Mr Farage is suspended from the Commons for 10 or more days, he could face a recall petition. If the petition is signed by 10% of eligible registered voters, it succeeds and the MP loses their seat.
It means another by-election would be held in Clacton. All the major political parties boycotted the contest this time, calling it a “gimmick” and a “stunt” to avoid scrutiny over the £5m gift. But many said they’d stand in any potential by-election triggered after the standards probe.
When Mr Farage first resigned in July, Kemi Badenoch refused to stand a Tory candidate in the “fake” by-election and said her party would contest “the real by-election, which will follow the standards investigation into Nigel Farage’s fishy finances”. Restore’s Rupert Lowe said similar.