LONDON - Voters in eastern England are heading to the polls for a by-election in the Clacton parliamentary seat, triggered by hard-right Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. Amid a boycott by mainstream parties, Farage's main rival is a joke candidate known as Count Binface. The traditional parties have shunned the contest, denouncing Farage's move to resign and launch a new vote as a stunt. Polling stations opened at 7:00 am (0600 GMT) with 34 candidates in the running, including Farage and Binface.
Brexit backer Farage, whose anti-immigration Reform UK won local elections in May and topped national polls for 18 months, has remained defiant. He has framed the by-election as 'the people of Clacton versus the Establishment', branding investigations into his finances and donations as a'stitch-up'. Farage is widely expected to retain the eastern Essex seat, which voted overwhelmingly for Brexit in the 2016 referendum.
University of Southampton political science professor Will Jennings told AFP that the by-election is unlikely to be consequential for British politics. 'Victory won't mean that questions about Farage or Reform's finances will go away, so it seems most likely it will be a wasted summer for everyone,' he added. Polls will close at 10:00 pm, with counting beginning immediately and a result expected by around 7:00 am Friday.
Turnout, nearly 59 percent in the 2024 general election, could be significantly down given the lack of traditional candidates from ruling centre-left Labour and the centre-right Conservatives. Most of the candidates are standing as independents, leading to a ballot paper which is nearly a metre long. Joke candidate Count Binface, who dresses with a grey dustbin over his head wearing a cape and silver armour, has captured global media attention and could snatch a fifth of the votes, according to a Survation poll.
Farage's decision to resign as Clacton MP and re-stand for the role on July 7 followed intense scrutiny of his and Reform's finances. The parliamentary sleaze watchdog is investigating Farage and his deputy, Richard Tice, amid allegations they failed to declare financial gifts. Meanwhile, London police have confirmed starting an investigation last year into donations to Reform before the 2024 general election. The controversies have coincided with a drop in Reform polling support and in popularity for Farage, long a divisive figure.
