Nigel Farage has formally resigned as MP for Clacton and triggered a by-election in which his most credible opponent so far is a man who claims to live on the planet Sigma IX and wears a bin on his head. Reform UK has proposed the vote for 6 August, hoping for a thumping victory. But the move, intended to shake off a deepening financial scandal, has left Farage facing the distinct possibility of one of the most humiliating upsets in British political history.
The by-election was prompted by revelations that Farage received a £5m gift before the 2024 election from Christopher Harborne, a Thailand-based cryptocurrency investor and major Reform donor, which he did not declare. Separately, The Sunday Times reported that he received financial support from a longstanding ally before becoming an MP, also undeclared. Facing an inquiry by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Farage insisted he had done nothing wrong and cast the contest as “people versus the establishment”. Yet within hours, Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and Restore Britain all announced they would not field candidates, branding the contest a “gimmick” and a “circus”.
“Nigel Farage faces Count Binface as only rival in Clacton by-election after major parties boycott.”
That left the field open to Count Binface – real name Jon Harvey, a comedian who regularly runs in by-elections. The deputy prime minister, David Lammy, mocked the situation in the Commons: “I hear it’s the people versus the establishment – a city trader, Putin-admiring professional politician who’s pals with crypto billionaires… versus Count Binface.” The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, approved Farage’s resignation by appointing him steward of the Manor of Northstead, remarking: “If he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won’t stop him.”
Bookmakers William Hill are offering odds of 4/1 that Binface wins. The Mirror notes that in 2024, more Clacton voters backed candidates other than Farage than voted for him. If enough of those voters decide to register a protest, a novelty candidate could become an MP for the first time. No such candidate has ever won a parliamentary seat, though Stuart Drummond was elected Mayor of Hartlepool after standing as football mascot H’Angus the Monkey. Binface’s manifesto includes capping the price of 99 Flake ice creams at 99p and becoming the UK’s Eurovision entry.
Farage would be free of the standards inquiry, but at the cost of an eighth loss in nine elections – and almost certainly the leadership of Reform UK. As the Mirror puts it: “Count Binface began as the joke candidate. He may yet become the dustbin into which Farage’s political career is finally thrown.” The only question left is whether Clacton’s voters are in the mood for a punchline.