Farage beats Count Binface to win Clacton by-election

Updated / Friday, Getty Nigel Farage pictured yesterday after he cast his vote Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has won the Clacton by-election amid contested claims he was told a "credible threat" against him. Mr Farage won with 22,239 votes, with Count Binface in second place on 9,455 votes. Mr Farage secured a 12,784 majority, 62.82% of the vote. This is up from his 8,405 vote majority, 46.2%, when he won at the 2024 general election. The result was declared shortly after 6am. A total of 32 of the record-34 candidates lost their deposit. Count Binface reacts after the declaration for the Clacton by-election Mr Farage pre-empted the official declaration "fairly convincingly" and the result 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... due to a credible threat against him." However, the Press Association understands Essex Police did not tell Mr Farage, or any other candidate, not to attend the count. In his speech, Mr Farage said, hours before the result was formally declared: "The verdict is now in, and it is a convincing, overwhelming win with more votes than we got in the general election of 2024." He earlier told GB News: "Look, this is an overwhelming endorsement of me. He said he did not believe there was any threat serious enough for the count to be called off, but that he could not comment further on security matters. The by-election was triggered ’s resignation over scrutiny of donations from cryptocurrency tycoon Christopher Harborne. Labour and the Conservatives said his victory would not draw a line under the controversy. A record 34 candidates were standing, with satirical candidate Count Binface as Mr Farage’s main challenger, after the other mainstream parties declined to stand. Speaking to Sky News, Count Binface, a character created , referred to the possibility of a second by-election in the seat if Mr Farage is found to have broken Parliamentary rules. He said: "You just said at the beginning of this interview that Nigel Farage is claiming victory, but in that case it’s going to be a two-legged match like the Carabao Cup or the Cold War, because we’re going to be back again in a few weeks aren’t we?