2026 Clacton by-election

 2026 Clacton by-election (UK/By-election)

Date	13 August 2026
Description	Count Binface to win the Clacton by-election?

The 2026 Clacton by-election was triggered by the announcement on 7 July 2026 by the incumbent Member of Parliament Nigel Farage that he was resigning as Clacton's MP. Farage, who is the leader of Reform UK, has represented Clacton since the UK/General election/2024.

Farage's announcement came amid parliamentary scrutiny of his personal finances and allegations concerning undeclared gifts and support. Farage has denied wrongdoing and described the up-coming by-election as a "people versus the establishment" by-election.

Polling day was set for Thursday 13 August 2026 and a record number of 34 candidates were confirmed for 2026 Clacton by-election.

On a turnout of 44.37%, Nigel Farage was declared the winner with 22,239 votes (63.3%). Count Binface came second with 9,455 votes (26.9%). Each of the remaining 32 candidates forfeited their £500 deposit, since none achieved 5% of the vote.

The BBC reported that a parliamentary investigation into Farage, which was paused during the election campaign, had resumed hours after he won the Clacton by-election

Background

On 7 July 2026, Farage announced that he would vacate his seat as MP for Clacton and stand again in the resulting by-election. He gave the investigations into him and his treatment by the press as reasons. Farage denied wrongdoing and said that he wanted voters in Clacton, rather than the press or parliamentary authorities, to decide whether he should continue as their MP.

Resignation from the House of Commons is not formally allowed; instead, the seat will not be vacated unless and until Farage is appointed to one of two sinecures that allow for an MP to step down to trigger a by-election: either the Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds or Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead. Normally, such an appointment is granted as a matter of course. On 8 July, Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, accepted his resignation by appointing him Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead. While objecting to his motives for resigning, she stated: "if he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won’t stop him".

Reform UK announced the likely date of the by-election to be 6 August.

Parties decide not to stand

On 8 July 2026, the BBC reported that Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Restore Britain have all ruled out contesting the Clacton by-election triggered by the resignation of Nigel Farage.

Tendring Green party statement

On 7 July 2026, Tendring Green party (TGP) issued a by-election statement:

We care deeply about the people of Clacton and Tendring, and we have no intention of helping to legitimise a by-election that appears designed not to serve local residents but to serve Nigel Farage’s personal political ambitions.

We will not stand in this political circus of a by-election. This contest is not about the people of Clacton. It is about one politician placing himself at the centre of a media spectacle and expecting local residents to play supporting roles in a drama of his own making. At a time when families are worried about the cost of living, public services are under pressure, housing is increasingly unaffordable, and communities are demanding real solutions, Clacton deserves representatives focused on the issues that matter, not another exercise in self-promotion. Our focus remains on protecting public services, improving transport, tackling the housing crisis, restoring our environment, and creating thriving communities for future generations. Our loyalty is to the people of this area, not to the ego or the remnants of a career of any individual politician.

Count Binface

Count Binface is exposing a crisis at the heart of British democracy

Comedian Jon Harvey, who regularly runs in elections under the pseudonym Count Binface, confirmed he is standing at the by-election. Binface quickly became the main contender to Farage in media coverage, with The Independent reporting that Binface was the recipient of an anti-Farage tactical voting campaign. Binface described himself as a "unity candidate" and pledged to build at least one affordable home if he was elected. In an interview with BBC Radio 4, Binface conceded that he would "probably not" win the election, but said that his job was "to celebrate and defend the wonders of British democracy". Regarding the other major parties dropping out of the race, he asked if they were "running scared from old Binny" or if they thought Farage was "running a cunning stunt", and said his main appeal would be simply that he is not Nigel Farage.

Confirming he had never been to Clacton, Binface said he had got the impression from Farage that staying away from the constituency was "part of how you do the job". He also ruled out any electoral pact with the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, saying he would leave them to compete with Farage for the "novelty vote".

Many mainstream politicians reacted to Binface's candidature with a mixture of amusement and approbation. David Wolfson, the Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales, commented that a "constitutional crisis awaits", as parliamentary convention dictates that MPs "may not address the House wearing a hat". Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis acknowledged Binface for "stepping forward" and wished him luck.

"Garbage Can Who Can Talk"

Kemi Badenoch, the Leader of the Opposition, said that if the by-election was a "people versus the establishment" contest, Binface might be the people's candidate. When asked about Binface at the 2026 Ankara NATO summit, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he could not endorse him due to Labour Party rules. Andy Burnham, the favourite in the race to become the next Labour leader, posted a picture of himself shaking hands with Binface at a by-election. The New Statesman's business editor, Will Dunn, also endorsed Binface and called for a united front in support of his candidacy. Martin Bell, who served as the independent MP for Tatton between 1997 and 2001, called for voters in Clacton to rally behind "the right independent candidate".

Binface received a surge of support from activists after announcing his candidacy, raising more than £15,000 in donations in a day, which he described as akin to a "fever dream". He said he hoped to appeal to voters from all sides of the political spectrum and said he could even court the immigrant vote, given he was "the ultimate alien". His campaign gained global media attention, with ABC (Australia), Le Figaro, New York Times, Radio Television Hong Kong, The Straits Times, la Repubblica, SBS World News, Sydney Morning Herald and the Times of India all reporting on the story. Stephen Pollard, writing for The Spectator, called the election a straight "two-way fight" between Farage and Binface, and speculated that the latter could win.

Message from Nigel Farage

NIGEL FARAGE'S MESSAGE TO YOU

Eve of poll leaflet

Delivered door to door on Wednesday afternoon (12^th August) by Binface canvasser, this eve of poll leaflet* says "one-third of Brits want Count Binface to win".

• Unofficial, citizens material. Not endorsed by Jonathan David Harvey.

Candidates

The 34 candidates for the 2026 Clacton by-election are:

Joseph 77 (Independent)

Adham Alkhatip (The Forward Party)

Count Binface (Count Binface Party)

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

Tony Cane (Independent)

Woke Trump Carrzee (Independent)

William Stuart James Clouston (Social Democratic Party)

Rees Cowne (Independent)

Glenn Charles Cummings (Independent)

Martin Davies (Freedom Alliance - Real People, Real Alternative!)

Andy Erlam (Independent)

Nigel Farage (Reform UK)

Attieh Fard (Independent)

Laurence Fox (The Reclaim Party)

Tony Francis (Independent)

Robin Green (Independent)

Abi Hookway (Independent)

Howling Laud Hope (The Official Monster Raving Loony Party)

Stephen Richard Ingram (Independent)

Amy Morris (Independent)

Derrick Norbert Morris (Independent)

Michael Noel O'Keeffe (Independent)

Martyn OBrien (Independent)

Nick Pelas (Independent)

Ketankumar Pipaliya (UK VOICE safer and stronger UK)

Daniel Pocock (Independent)

James Ransley (Consensus Party Candidate)

Gerry Smith (Independent)

Kai Stephens (British Democrats)

John Stevens (Rejoin EU)

Baron Von Thunderclap (The Official Monster Raving Loony Party)

Pamela Walford (Independent)

Marcus White (Everyone is God Party)

Marc Wilkinson (Independent)

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References

This page imported content from Wikipedia on 7 July 2026.
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