• [Daily Mirror Icon]
• News
• Politics
• Nigel Farage

Is Nigel Farage wasting taxpayer money with by-election stunt? Take our poll and have your say

Nigel Farage is days away from his Clacton by-election battle with Count Binface and co, and with the countdown on, we're asking if it's all just a total waste of your money

[Nigel Farage]

View 2 Images

Nigel Farage appears to be the only one having a laugh(Image: Jacob King/PA Wire)

After an official suggested Nigel Farages Clacton by-election battle could cost taxpayers around a quarter of a million pounds, the Mirror today asks readers if he is wasting your money.

As the Reform chief gears up to take on comedy candidates next week, we want you to tell us if the joke is now on the British public - and if the politican is now the only one laughing. After his major party rivals boycotted the contest, he has been accused of producing a costly political stunt as he prepares for Count Binface and co on August 13.

He of course triggered the vote by resigning as an MP amid a Commons probe over a 5million gift received from a Thai-based crypto billionaire. Many have been left wondering if this is just a desperate distraction from allegations of undeclared donations to divert from the stench of sleaze hanging over him.

[Farage]

View 2 Images

The Reform chief is preparing for the by-election (Image: Thomas Krych/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)

Chief executive of Tendering district council, Ian Davidson, revealed just how big the ballot paper actually is - as predicted how much the by-election will cost.

He said: Weve got 34 candidates, which is the most number of candidates any parliamentary election has ever had. And the ballot paper is just under a metre a long. The cost of actually printing, running, and posting things like that is about four times the cost of the General Election where we had five candidates.

Asked about the running cost,, he said: Were anticipating around a quarter of a million, about 250,000. Most of that is paid by government, but not all. Tendering council will have to pay some of the cost because were having to put a lot of additional measures in place which are not what would be in the normal parliamentary by-election costs.

When Mr Farage triggered the by-election last month, the Reform leader offered for his party to pay the cost of the contest but a Labour source dismissed the offer outright.

He quit as an MP after facing mounting pressure over his personal finances, including an undeclared 5million gift he received from Christopher Harborne shortly before the 2024 general election.

In an Ipsos poll asking the general public who they would vote for in a hyperthetical head-to-head, 33 per cent said they would prefer novelty candidate Count Binface to win the race, over the Reform UK leader, who picked up while only 21 per cent of the vote.

Many have dismissed the election as a stunt with Health Secretary Yvette Cooper called the move a political tantrum and others said it was a distraction from the allegations.

[Daily Mirror Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.