Labour and the Conservatives have said the outcome of the Clacton by-election will not draw a line under the controversy surrounding donations received by Nigel Farage. Polls closed at 10pm in the election, which has been boycotted by the other major parties, with Mr Farage hoping to retain his seat.
Farage's £250,000 by-election gamble
Mr Farage triggered the by-election, estimated to cost taxpayers about £250,000, after facing intense scrutiny over his personal finances. The Reform UK leader resigned his seat in protest at media and parliamentary investigations into donations from his backers, calling the contest a chance to "stick two fingers up to the establishment."
A record 34 candidates are standing, with satirical candidate Count Binface appearing to be Mr Farage's main challenger. The contest is being watched closely as initial returns show turnout is down about 15% compared to the July 2024 general election.
Parties vow to keep pressure on
Labour's chair Bridget Phillipson said Mr Farage "can't run from the truth forever." She stated: "Nigel Farage spent 38 days fighting a bin in his most desperate attempt yet to deflect attention from the sleaze and scandals engulfing him and his Party. Farage may succeed in his run-off against a bin, but he can't run from the truth forever. The list of unanswered questions about the £5 million gift he hid from the public, his support from a convicted fraudster, and the mountain of other scandals he and Reform are facing isn't going away. In fact, it's getting longer by the day."
A Conservative Party spokesman echoed this sentiment, saying: "Nigel Farage called this fake by-election in a desperate attempt to draw a line under the questions surrounding his fishy £5 million donation. Whatever the outcome on Friday, this stunt has not done that."
Standards investigations loom
Before resigning, Mr Farage was under investigation by the parliamentary standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg over a £5 million gift from cryptocurrency tycoon Christopher Harborne, received before he took his seat in the Commons. Under Commons rules, new MPs must register any gifts worth more than £300 received in the previous 12 months, unless the gift "could not be reasonably thought by others" to relate to their political activities.
That investigation was paused when Mr Farage resigned but will resume if he wins the by-election, as bookmakers have made him the firm favourite to do. He could also face an investigation over support from George Cottrell, a long-term ally who reportedly recruited and paid three staff to work on Mr Farage's social media before the general election and allowed him to use a five-storey Georgian property near Buckingham Palace.
Potential second by-election
The main Westminster parties refused to participate in this contest but could stand if the standards investigation results in another by-election. If Mr Farage is found to have broken the rules and a suspension of more than 10 days is imposed, it could trigger a recall petition and the prospect of him losing his seat, forcing a second contest.
In the 2024 general election, Mr Farage won Clacton with 46.2% of the vote and a majority of 8,405 over his Conservative rival. The result of the by-election is likely to be announced in the early hours of Friday morning.
