Clacton latest as Nigel Farage wins by-election after refusing to attend count - follow live

[Count Binface waits with other candidates for the declaration of the Clacton-on-Sea by-election]

Count Binface waits with other candidates for the declaration of the Clacton-on-Sea by-election(Image: Getty Images)

What a wild night on the sunny Essex coast as Nigel Farage won the Clacton by-election with 22,239 votes and a 12,784 majority. Count Binface finished in second after netting a staggering 9,455 votes to leave 32 other deposit-losing candidates firmly in the trash.

Farage shockingly ghosted the declaration, claiming Essex Police warned him of a "credible threat" and an "organised campaign" to embarrass him, adding he refused to be "demeaned" by standing on stage with "nobodies".

However, PA reports that the police force did NOT actually tell him to stay away after the Reform leader chose to celebrate at his own "Farage-Fest" party instead.

Turnout slumped to 44.37 per cent, but everyone's favourite bin-headed space warrior declared himself the winner of anyone "who actually bothered to turn up" after taking over 26 per cent of the vote.

Thanks for sticking with us through the heat, the cop drama and the absolute bin-sanity of it all!

Something tells me this won't be the last we hear from Count Binface, who appears delighted with his vote share.

He said he was "the winning candidate of the candidates who bothered to turn up for the results" in the Clacton by-election and that the result had "humiliated" Nigel Farage.

In a video posted on X, he said: "I'm over the moon. I'm over your moon. I'm over my moons. And what comes next? Well, we shall see. But you know what? We know this for a fact. Over one in four people in this constituency would rather have Count Binface as their MP than the leader of Reform UK, and I'm just getting started."

[Count Binface reacts after the result announcement of the Clacton by-election count at the Leisure Centre in Clacton on Sea]

Count Binface said he is 1,000 times more popular today than he was in Makerfield(Image: AP Photo/Richard Pelham)

There were a record-breaking number of candidates in the Clacton by-election. Here are the full results for those interested:

[Count Binface waits with other candidates for the declaration of the Clacton-on-Sea by-election]

Count Binface waits with other candidates for the declaration of the Clacton-on-Sea by-election(Image: Getty Images)

• Joseph 77 (Independent) 42

• Adham Alkhatip (The Forward Party) 49

• Count Binface (Count Binface Party) 9,455

• Nick The Incredible Flying Brick (The Official Monster Raving Loony Party) 28

• Tony Cane (Independent) 17

• Woke Trump Carrzee (Independent) 8

• William Clouston (Social Democratic Party) 256

• Rees Cowne (Independent) 50

• Glenn Cummings (Independent) 7

• Martin Davies (Freedom Alliance) 60

• Andy Erlam (Independent) 44

• Nigel Farage (Reform UK) 22,239

• Attieh Fard (Independent) 126

• Laurence Fox (The Reclaim Party) 347

• Tony Francis (Independent) 432

• Robin Green (Independent) 59

• Abi Hookway (Independent) 14

• Howling Laud Hope (The Official Monster Raving Loony Party) 18

• Stephen Ingram (Independent) 159

• Amy Morris (Independent) 46

• Derrick Morris (Independent) 100

• Martyn OBrien (Independent) 65

• Michael OKeeffe (Independent) 19

• Nick Pelas (Independent) 202

• Ketankumar Pipaliya (UK Voice) 21

• Daniel Pocock (Independent) 16

• James Ransley (Consensus Party) 192

• Gerry Smith (Independent) 9

• Kai Stephens (British Democrats) 132

• John Stevens (Rejoin EU) 492

• Baron Von Thunderclap (The Official Monster Raving Loony Party) 15

• Pamela Walford (Independent) 371

• Marcus White (Everyone is God Party) 10

• Marc Wilkinson (Independent) 11

It looks like Nigel Farage isn't feeling very chatty at all. Even on social media, he reacted to the Clacton by-election results with a very, very short statement.

Posting on X, the Reform UK leader said: "The result in Clacton speaks for itself."

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(Image: Reform UK)

Surprise, surprise. Lee Anderson says Nigel Farage is "a little busy" to speak to the BBC following his victory.

Apparently the Reform UK chief is "still celebrating" after deciding not to appear at the declaration in person.

Count Binface has declared himself '1,000 times more popular' than he was just a couple of months ago. The candidate - real name Jonathan David Harvey - received 9,455 votes and finished in second.

He said: "In Makerfield eight weeks ago I got 95 votes. So against Nigel Farage compared to Andy Burnham, I am 1,000 times more popular. Does that have anything to do with why he isn't here tonight?"

[0_Clacton-on-Sea-by-election-count-Clacton-On-Sea-United-Kingdom-14-Aug-2026.jpg]

(Image: ANDY RAIN/EPA/Shutterstock)

We're now hearing from the Liberal Democrats who say Farage has "come out smelling like last week's chip paper" after facing off against "a bin".

Speaking on Sky News, MP Lisa Smart added it was time for the Parliamentary enquiry into Farage's 5 million donation to "crack on" and defended her party's decision not to stand.

Reaction now from Labour to Farage's win. The party says his re-election in Clacton is "no victory" for him.

Labour chair Bridget Phillipson said: "Let's be clear: this is no victory for Nigel Farage. The mountain of sleaze and scandal he and Reform are now engulfed in has grown and grown while hes been trying to distract the public by fighting a by-election against a bin."This morning, Nigel Farage shouldn't be celebrating he should wake up and smell the coffee. He must come clean with the public and put all the facts on the table over his secret 5 million gift, his relationship with a convicted fraudster, and the other scandals his Party is drowning in."Farage's distraction by-election doesn't clear his name it just shows he likely has so much more to hide."

Here are the scenes from Clacton Leisure Centre after Nigel Farage was announced as winner. The Reform leader, of course, wasn't there though...

[Candidates, including Count Binface, pose together following the declaration of the Clacton by-election]

Candidates, including Count Binface, pose together following the declaration of the Clacton by-election(Image: Getty)

[Candidates, including Count Binface, pose together following the declaration of the Clacton by-election]

Candidates, including Count Binface, pose together following the declaration of the Clacton by-election(Image: Getty Images)

[Count Binface waits with other candidates for the declaration of the Clacton-on-Sea by-election]

Count Binface waits with other candidates for the declaration of the Clacton-on-Sea by-election(Image: Getty Images)

[Count Binface waits with other candidates for the declaration of the Clacton-on-Sea by-election]

Count Binface waits with other candidates for the declaration of the Clacton-on-Sea by-election(Image: Getty Images)

It may interest you to know that John Stevens of Rejoin EU finished third with 492 votes, followed by independents Tony Francis with 432 and Pamela Walford with 371. Former actor Laurence Fox finished fifth on 347.

BREAKING: Returning officer officer Ian Davidson confirms Nigel Farage has won the Clacton by-election with 22,239 votes, compared to 9,455 for second-place Count Binface.

It looks as though the candidates (minus Farage) are starting to gather, with the result expected very shortly.

Our reporter Meg is in Clacton-on-Sea and has received confirmation from the returning officer that the result will be announced at around 6am.

Well, well, well. Both the BBC and Press Association are reporting that they understand Essex Police has not told any candidate that they shouldn't attend the by-election count.

The police force said in a statement: "We have a proportionate and robust policing operation to ensure the safety and security of all participants in the count."

Some welcome relief now from the Nigel Farage Show to bring you news of beef between the Monster Raving Loony Party and Count Binface.Party leader, Howling Laud Hope, is firm in his belief that the Loonies have not been overtaken by Binface.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: "We haven't lost yet. Binface is the poor man's loony. We're the most sensible party of the lot."

He said Clacton "used to be a very profound sea-front resort for lots and lots of people around the country. Why not have Britain's first Disneyland here at Clacton, on the Clacton Riviera?"

[0_Clacton-on-Sea-By-election-Count-and-Declaration.jpg]

The party was established in the United Kingdom in 1982 by the musician David Sutch.(Image: Getty Images)

Not only is Nigel Farage not attending the count for a by-election he called, it also turns out he has cancelled a speech later this morning.

The Reform UK leader was expected to share his views on the result at 10.30am. However, the party has now said it will not go ahead. No reason was given, but they highlighted that Farage had already commented on the anticipated result.

Can we send out a search party to find him? It's starting to feel like a game of hide and seek at this stage.

Ian Davidson, acting returning officer for the by-election, has told the BBC that he hopes the result will be declared at "around" 6am - a time when most normal people will either still be tucked up in bed or enjoying some breakfast.

Count Binface is in a good mood at the err...count. When asked by the Mirror if he feels Farage is running scared of him, he had this to say:

"Whether he's scared of me, you need to ask Nigel that, but I have noticed just how hard Reform have been campaigning against an alien space warrior with a Ceefax fetish who only eight weeks ago scored 0.2% in Makerfield.

"So yeah, it's a curious... But I respect it, and I'm rather flattered."

He added: "Anybody deciding they would rather vote for me to be Member of Parliament than Nigel Farage is a win.

"Now, you magnify that every single time there's an X for Binface and it mounts up, and it mounts up, and it mounts up."

Good morning. It's Liam Randall signing in. Thanks to Ash for manning the blog overnight. I'll be running the show from here on in, covering the all-important result and anything else that happens!

Despite Farage claiming a stonking victory, some social media users have highlighted how all is not as he would have you believe.

Political journalist Steven Methven said: "Reform put a ton of effort into the Gorton and Denton byelection and lost. Turnout: 47.5%

"They threw it all at the Makerfield byelection and lost again. Turnout: 58.7%.

"Clacton's turnout is 43%. If Farage wins, we'll have learned that Reform is capable of regaining its own seats when everyone stays at home and the opponent is a bin."

Sounds like a fair assesment to us. Even Farage can't be bothered turning up.

Nigel Farage is right to not attend the Clacton by-election declaration, a Reform UK spokesperson said.

Local councillor Jaymey McIvor told the BBC: "He doesn't want to be demeaned or humiliated, and I make him right in that.

"To demean or humiliate the winning candidate in any election, demean and humiliate all of those people that have taken part in the process... I think it's obviously the right decision."

The count will continue in spite of the threat Nigel Farage claims to have been made aware of. In an annoucement to staff, acting returning officer Ian Davidson said there is "no issue" in terms of completing the count.

He said officials will ensure proceedings continue in a safe and secure manner. Mr Davidson said: "Thank you for our staff, and thank you for our visitors, and thank you for the press and public who have conducted themselves in an exemplary way tonight.

"And we will continue to do so." He went on: "I will not comment on security matters, but I am going to say to you that working closely with Essex Police, and we've just had a further meeting, that there is no issue in terms of us completing the count tonight."

Nigel Farage plunged the Clacton by-election into further farce by refusing to turn up to the count to be declared the winner. He became the first winning candidate since Bobby Sands to not attend the declaration in person.

The IRA hunger striker was in hospital when he was elected MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone in 1981 and died less than a month later. Reform leader Farage, who triggered the by-election by resigning as MP, claimed a protest was planned at the count in Clacton.

Read more here.

Returning officer Ian Davidson said: "We work very closely with Essex Police and will be continuing the count in a safe and secure manner.

"I will not comment on security matters. We've been working closely with Essex Police. We just had a further meeting, and there's no issue with continuing the count tonight."

Nigel Farage told supporters he will not attend the Clacton by-election count, plunging the whole by-election into further farce.

Despite causing the poll, he told supporters: "I am damned if I am going to stand on a stage, having won a resounding victory.... and be demeaned and humiliated by nobodies. I will not, sadly, be attending the account."

He says Essex Police has told him about an "organised campaign to disrupt and degrade the result".

We are contacting Essex Police for more details.

The last time a winning MP did not attend the count was IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands, who was elected in Fermanagh and South Tyrone in 1981. He was in hospital at the time and died on hunger strike less than a month after being elected.

Watch Farage's speech to his supporters as he refuses to attend the count at the by-election he triggered. A hugely unusual turn of events.

Nigel Farage says he will not attend the election count. The Reform leader claims he has been told by Essex Police of a planned protest.

A total of 35,401 votes were cast in the by-election. Verification has been completed, and vote counting is fully under way. We expect the results... sometime.

Reform leader Nigel Farage has again dodged questions over money.

Asked by his propaganda arm GB News who funded his "Farage Fest" - a party for supporters 12 miles away from the election count - he said: "These guys have all paid to come."

When GB News' poltical journo Chris Hope asked how much, Farage replied: "Whether they've covered the entire cost is a seperate question."

Rather than press further, Hope said it was "unlike any other political event I've ever been to."

The by-election was called after Farage quit as an MP after questions were raised about a 5million gift from a Thai crypto billionaire.

When Hope put it to him that he had not yet seen off the parliamentary inquiry into the 5 million gift, Farage said: "Who cares, the voters of Clacton dont care."