Nigel Farage beats Count Binface to regain UK parliament seat in widely mocked by-election
The anti-immigrant Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage beat comic opponent Count Binface on Friday as was expected, regaining the seat in Parliament he quit a month ago to trigger the widely mocked by-election in the seaside town of Clacton.
Issued on: 14/08/2026 -
By: FRANCE 24
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage regained his parliamentary seat on Friday in an election he triggered to bolster his position against allegations of financial impropriety, a strategy that was undermined when his main challenger, a comedian dressed as a rubbish bin, won more than a quarter of the vote.
Farage, one of Britain’s leading Brexit campaigners, in a highly unusual move did not turn up at count in the southern English seaside resort of Clacton because he said the police had advised him that there was a campaign to disrupt the result.
“I am damned if I am going to stand on a stage, having won a resounding victory.... and be demeaned and humiliated by nobodies,” Farage told supporters at a party before the result was announced.
The election was triggered after Farage resigned from parliament last month to seek a fresh mandate from voters in what he described as a war against an establishment bent on discrediting him over taking undeclared gifts from donors.
After Britain’s main parties pulled out of the race, calling it a self-serving stunt, Farage’s main challenger ended up being Count Binface, a figure created by comedian Jonathan Harvey, who has become a fixture of fun at British elections.
While Farage took 62.8 percent of the vote, Count Binface, whose policies included capping the price of ice cream cones and conscripting anyone using a speakerphone on public transport, secured 26.7 percent.
Voter turnout in Thursday's election was 44 percent, lower than the 59 percent turnout recorded at the 2024 general election, but not unusual for a by-election.
Reform's momentum shows signs of slowing
After enjoying a lengthy lead in the opinion polls, Reform has seen its popularity wane, driven partly by the funding accusations made against Farage, who is under investigation in parliament over whether he should have declared a £5 million ($6.75 million) gift from a cryptocurrency billionaire investor.
After declaring his decision to trigger the election in Clacton little more than a ploy to distract from those allegations, other British parties pulled out of the race, leaving even some of Farage’s strongest supporters questioning whether the veteran politician had been wrong-footed.
Laura Richards-Gray, a politics lecturer at Birkbeck University in London, said the absence of major-party opponents undermined his attempt to turn it into what he called a “people versus the establishment” contest.
“This has backfired, particularly nationally, as Farage lost control of the narrative,” she said, adding some voters saw the election as “a waste of time and money”.
Farage’s position has not been helped by a rise in support for the governing Labour Party.
Since Andy Burnham became prime minister last month, Labour has been enjoying a bounce in ratings, with the party leading Reform 28 percent to 25 percent.
Burnham has dominated the airwaves and social media in his first few weeks in office, and while the next national election is expected in three years’ time, he appears to be consolidating a left-leaning bloc around Labour.
Reform, on the other hand, is competing for a divided right-wing vote with the Conservative Party and the anti-immigration party Restore Britain gaining in support.
Gift from billionaire crypto investor
Despite winning this vote, the parliamentary watchdog is expected to continue its investigation into his financial declarations once he returns to parliament.
At the heart of the investigation is whether he should have declared the gift from a Thailand-based billionaire before the 2024 national election.
Under parliamentary rules, members of parliament must declare any donations received in the year preceding an election within one month of taking office.
Farage has admitted receiving the money, but not declaring it, saying he has done nothing wrong because it was a personal gift.
If the parliamentary authorities, who are investigating, conclude that Farage breached declaration rules, he could face a suspension from parliament, and another vote to retain his seat, where the main parties would probably field candidates.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters and AFP)
Farage wins UK by-election to return to parliament
British politician Nigel Farage retains his seat in parliament after resigning last month over an investigation into his finances that triggered a by-election.
British politician Nigel Farage has comfortably won a local by-election on Friday after all the main political parties boycotted the vote in protest.
The former MEP had declared a "resounding victory" early Friday but said he would not attend the official result announcement that pitted him against Count Binface and a list of independent candidates.
Farage picked up over 22,000 votes in an election that saw a 44% turnout.
"The verdict is in and it is a convincing and overwhelming win," he said as supporters chanted his name at an event in Essex, which was broadcast on X.
Farage triggered the vote by resigning his parliamentary seat, which he had held since 2024, over an investigation into his finances in the constituency of Clacton in the county of Essex.
The vote had been shunned by Britain's main political parties, including the ruling Labour Party, as a stunt by the Reform UK leader - once touted as a potential prime minister - to dodge scrutiny of his dealings.
That has left candidates such as Binface - the alter ego of comedian Jon Harvey - to seize the spotlight.
"What an upside-down world it is, where Count Binface is now the candidate of the establishment," Farage said in his speech.
He said he would not attend the count, where candidates traditionally gather for the declaration of results, saying Essex Police had warned him that an "organised campaign to disrupt and degrade the result" was planned.
The BBC reported that this was not true, quoting Essex Police in a statement that read: "We have a proportionate and robust policing operation to ensure the safety and security of all participants in the count."
Acting Returning Officer Ian Davidson said election officials had worked with police to ensure the process was "completed safely and securely", adding there was "no reason not to proceed with the count process at this time".
Analysts expected a win for Farage, but forecast that the self-styled "intergalactic space warrior", who campaigns wearing a rubbish bin on his head, could secure an uncomfortably large share of the vote, possibly approaching 20 percent.
Binface took to social media after the result to declare himself the winner "of the candidates that 'bothered to turn up for the results'" and, in a video, suggested Farage had been "humiliated" as one in four people in Clacton would prefer him to the Reform UK leader.
Turnout reached about 44.7 percent, down from 59 percent in the 2024 general election.
In the coastal community, many voters appeared unenthusiastic about the poll, with even some Reform party volunteers describing the contest as a joke.
"It's a bit ridiculous," party campaigner Jane Embelton told AFP.
"It's all to make Nigel Farage look like an idiot, basically. But he doesn't look like an idiot to me or his supporters."
A record 33 fringe candidates, including Binface, stood in the vote, with some of the longest ballot papers in the country's history seen being unfolded at Clacton Leisure Centre, where the count was held.
- 'We can't decide' -
Farage, whose party had topped national polls for 18 months before falling behind recently, surprised voters with his July 7 resignation amid the probe into his finances.
The investigation by the parliamentary sleaze watchdog is examining allegations he and Reform's deputy leader, Richard Tice, failed to declare financial gifts. They deny any wrongdoing.
Farage has framed Thursday's vote as "the people of Clacton versus the Establishment", aimed at thwarting the "stitch-up" over his finances.
"The people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions," he said in a video released before casting his vote.
Clacton voter Phil predicted the vote was "not going to change anything", noting if Farage won as expected, the parliamentary probe would restart.
Political pundits have downplayed the vote's wider significance in a constituency that overwhelmingly backed Brexit a decade ago.
"It will be astonishing if Farage were not to win," political scientist John Curtice told AFP.
But some assessed Farage's election gambit had backfired as his Reform party slips down national polls.
"Farage's plan to turn this by-election into a serious political battle failed," Queen Mary University of London politics professor Stijn van Kessel told AFP, noting the resulting spectacle "makes Farage look rather silly".
Farage netted 46 percent of the vote in the 2024 general election to become an MP on his eighth attempt.
- Police probe -
The probe into Farage, which paused when he resigned, relates to a £5 million ($6.7m) donation from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne.
Meanwhile, London police have confirmed starting a investigation last year into donations to Reform before the 2024 election.
UK media have reported that the police probe concerns undeclared financial support from longtime Farage ally and convicted fraudster George Cottrell and his mother.
The decision to trigger a by-election has seen a drop in support for Reform, which recently won a vast number of council elections across the UK in May.
Polls close in UK by-election with Nigel Farage and Count Binface going head-to-head
Vote counting has already begun and will continue through the night with a result expected by around 7:00 am local time on Friday.
Polls have closed in a by-election in England that pit hard-right leader Nigel Farage against perennial joke candidate Count Binface in a poll dismissed by some residents as a "farce."
Farage, who triggered the vote by resigning the parliamentary seat he had held since 2024 over an investigation into his finances, was up against Binface and dozens of other fringe candidates in the Clacton constituency of eastern Essex.
The vote had been shunned by the country's main political parties, including ruling Labour, as a stunt by the Reform UK leader to dodge scrutiny of his finances.
That left candidates such as Binface, the alter ego of comedian Jon Harvey, to grab all the attention.
Analysts predicted a win for Farage but they also foresaw an uncomfortably large share of up to 20% of the votes going to the self-styled "intergalactic space warrior" from the fictional planet Sigma IX who wears a rubbish bin on his head.
"Bin day cometh," Binface posted on X earlier on Thursday. He had not so far been spotted in Clacton since the polls opened.
The boycott left some voters in the town of Clacton-on-Sea fuming.
"It's a farce," said local voter Paul, who accused mainstream parties of "disrespecting the people of Clacton" by not running candidates.
Just a few "I'm with Farage" signs were visible in Clacton, and plenty of other locals, even some volunteers for the anti-immigration Reform UK, branded the polls a joke.
"It's a bit ridiculous," party campaigner Jane Embelton told the AFP news agency.
"It's all to make Nigel Farage look like an idiot, basically. But he doesn't look like an idiot to me or his supporters."
A record 33 fringe candidates including Binface were running. At one polling station a sample ballot paper with the lengthy list of contenders hanging at the entrance was taller than most voters, a journalist saw.
Undecided
Farage, whose party had topped national polls for 18 months before falling behind recently, surprised voters when he announced his resignation on 7 July amid the probe into his finances.
The investigation by the parliamentary sleaze watchdog is examining allegations he and Reform's deputy, Richard Tice, failed to declare financial gifts. They deny any wrongdoing.
Farage has framed Thursday's vote as "the people of Clacton versus the Establishment," aimed at thwarting the "stitch-up" over his finances.
"The people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions," he said in a video released hours before casting his vote.
Clacton voter Phil predicted the by-election was "not going to change anything," noting if Farage won as expected, the parliamentary probe would restart.
"I get what he's saying, but we can't decide," he told AFP.
Political pundits have downplayed the vote's wider significance in a constituency that overwhelmingly backed Brexit a decade ago.
"It will be astonishing if Farage were not to win," political scientist John Curtice told AFP.
But some assessed Farage's election gambit had backfired as his Reform party slips down national polls.
"Farage's plan to turn this by-election into a serious political battle failed," Queen Mary University of London politics professor Stijn van Kessel told AFP, noting the resulting spectacle "makes Farage look rather silly."
Police probe
Farage netted 46% of the vote in the 2024 general election to become an MP on his eighth attempt.
Turnout, which was nearly 59% then, was expected to be significantly down among the constituency's 80,000 registered voters, given the lack of mainstream party candidates.
The probe into Farage, which paused when he resigned, relates to a £5 million (€5.8 million) donation from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne.
Meanwhile, London police have confirmed starting a investigation last year into donations to Reform before the 2024 election.
UK media have reported that probe concerns non-declared financial support from longtime Farage ally and convicted fraudster George Cottrell and his mother.
The controversies have coincided with the drop in Reform polling support and in popularity for Farage, long a divisive figure loved and loathed in largely equal measure.
Vote counting has already begun and will continue through the night with a result expected by around 7:00 am local time on Friday.
Farage wins UK by-election as Count Binface claims 'moral victory'
Clacton-on-Sea (AFP) – Hard-right British politician Nigel Farage reclaimed his seat in a by-election, according to the final tally Friday, though his main rival and joke candidate Count Binface took an larger than expected share of the ballot.
Issued on: 14/08/2026 - 
Farage, who triggered the vote by resigning the parliamentary seat he had held since 2024 over an investigation into his finances, swept 63 percent of the ballots in the English constituency of Clacton.
While votes were still being counted, Farage had declared victory.
"The verdict is in and it is a convincing and overwhelming win," he said as supporters chanted his name at an event in Essex that was broadcast on X.
His main rival, Count Binface, however, exceeded expectations by earning 9,455 votes, 27 percent of the total.
Analysts had anticipated a win for Farage but underestimated the appeal of the self-styled "intergalactic space warrior", who campaigns wearing a rubbish bin on his head, forecasting a large share of the vote approaching but not exceeding 20 percent.
The vote had been shunned by Britain's main political parties, including the governing Labour Party, as a stunt by the Reform UK leader – once touted as a potential prime minister – to dodge scrutiny of his dealings.
That gave dozens of fringe candidates including Binface – the alter ego of comedian Jon Harvey – to seize the spotlight.
"The moral victory is already mine," he told AFP at the counting centre early Friday ahead of the final tally.
Farage did not attend the count, where candidates traditionally gather for the declaration of results, saying Essex Police had warned him that an "organised campaign to disrupt and degrade the result" was planned.
Acting Returning Officer Ian Davidson said election officials had worked with police to ensure the process was "completed safely and securely", adding there was "no reason not to proceed with the count process at this time".
Binface said it had been his "humble duty" to be Farage's opposition, adding he would respect the results.
"If a majority of the voters of Clacton say they would like him to be returned as their MP, that is to be respected," he said.
Turnout reached about 44 percent, down from 59 percent in the 2024 general election but not an unusual rate for a by-election.
In the coastal community, many voters appeared unenthusiastic about the vote, with even some Reform party volunteers describing the contest as a joke.
"It's a bit ridiculous," party campaigner Jane Embelton told AFP.
"It's all to make Nigel Farage look like an idiot, basically. But he doesn't look like an idiot to me or his supporters."
A record 33 fringe candidates, including Binface, stood in the vote, with some of the longest ballot papers in the country's history seen being unfolded at the Clacton Leisure Centre, where the count was held.
'We can't decide'
Farage, whose party had topped national opinion polls for 18 months before falling behind recently, surprised voters with his July 7 resignation amid the probe into his finances.
The investigation by the parliamentary sleaze watchdog is examining allegations he and Reform's deputy leader, Richard Tice, failed to declare financial gifts. They deny any wrongdoing.
Farage has framed Thursday's vote as "the people of Clacton versus the Establishment", aimed at thwarting the "stitch-up" over his finances.
"The people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions," he said in a video released before casting his vote.
One Clacton voter, Phil, predicted the vote was "not going to change anything", saying that the parliamentary probe would restart with Farage's re-election.
Political pundits have downplayed the vote's wider significance in a constituency that overwhelmingly backed Brexit a decade ago.
"It will be astonishing if Farage were not to win," political scientist John Curtice told AFP.
But some assessed Farage's election gambit had backfired as his Reform party slips down national polls.
"Farage's plan to turn this by-election into a serious political battle failed," Queen Mary University of London politics professor Stijn van Kessel told AFP, noting the resulting spectacle "makes Farage look rather silly".
Farage netted 46 percent of the vote in the 2024 general election to become an MP on his eighth attempt.
Police probe
The probe into Farage, which paused when he resigned, relates to a five million pound ($6.7 million) donation from the cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne.
UK media have reported that probe concerns undeclared financial support from longtime Farage ally and convicted fraudster George Cottrell and his mother.
The controversies have coincided with the drop in Reform polling support and in popularity for Farage, long a divisive figure loved and loathed in largely equal measure.
Can UK's hard-right Farage bin financial
probe with by-election win?
Nigel Farage – leader of the anti-immigration Reform UK party – will be fighting for his parliamentary seat on Thursday, going head to head with parody candidate Count Binface in snap polls. The by-election was called after Farage resigned amid a probe into his finances. But the surprise move threatens to backfire as none of the major political parties has fielded a candidate.
Issued on: 13/08/2026 - RFI
Farage resigned as MP for Clacton-on-Sea on 8 July amid a probe by the parliamentary watchdog into his finances, freeing him up to call a by-election.
Clacton, a seaside resort northeast of London that voted overwhelmingly for Brexit in the 2016 referendum, is expected to re-elect Farage by a large majority.
With typical showmanship, the 62-year-old politician pitched the vote as a "people versus the establishment by-election" fight to win the seat he has held since 2024.
Running on an anti-immigration platform, one of his party's recent controversial policies includes deploying the Royal Navy to return small boats of migrants to France.
The proposal came days after tens of thousands of migrants entered the Spanish territory of Ceuta in north Africa from neighbouring Morocco, reigniting Europe's debate over undocumented migration.
France's Interior Ministry slammed the plan, calling it "a violation of French sovereignty as well as a violation of maritime law and international law".
Parody candidates
Farage is one of 34 candidates in the running in Thursday's vote – the highest number of any UK parliamentary election.
However, none of the United Kingdom's mainstream political parties is fielding candidates, having dismissed the move as a stunt designed to stall the parliamentary inquiry.
That has left the door open to a host of independent and parody candidates.
One of them is Count Binface – the alter-ego of Oxford-educated comedian Jon Harvey – who could snatch a fifth of the votes, according to a Survation poll.
A self-described "intergalactic space warrior and leader of the Recyclons from Sigma IX", Count Binface's manifesto mixes smart political satire with comedic promises to cap croissant prices, improve WiFi on UK trains and ban loud snacks in cinemas.
Investigation into gifts
Before resigning, Farage had been facing growing scrutiny over the non-disclosure of gifts – including a £5 million ($6.6 million) donation from crypto-currency billionaire Christopher Harborne and undeclared financial support from convicted fraudster George Cottrell.
MPs are obliged to declare any financial support they received up to a year before their election.
But Farage claimed the donation from Harborne was a gift for his security, made before he became an MP.
London's Met Police are also investigating donations made to Reform by Cottrell's mother.
"The people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions," he said.
Farage's resignation means the parliamentary investigation into his finances has been paused. But if he is re-elected it will undoubtedly be resumed once parliament's summer recess ends in September.
"Ultimately all it does is buy him time," Tim Bale, a politics professor at Queen Mary University of London, told French news agency AFP. "He'll probably make it back into parliament but at that point the investigation will start up again. So he can run, but he can't hide."
If Farage is found guilty of serious misconduct and faces sanctions, there could be another by-election.
Popularity waning
Reform's popularity has been slipping, with recent surveys showing the ruling centre-left Labour party has overtaken it again in national voting polls.
"Clacton could be very important, it could show that... Nigel Farage and Reform UK have peaked," Pete Dorey, a professor of politics at Cardiff University, told AFP.
"If he only wins narrowly, or with a much lower number of votes compared to the 2024 election, then this would suggest that his popularity was declining, and that his credibility has been damaged."
As the UK's political landscape fragments, Count Binface has become more than a comic sideshow, and is urging voters to protect democracy.
A post on his website reads: "Behind every one of these campaigns is a simple argument: that showing up matters, that a ballot is worth casting even when you know how the night ends."
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