Clacton by-election live: Polls to close within hours in Nigel Farage’s battle with Count Binface to retain seat

The Reform UK leader triggered the contest after deciding to stand down amidst massive scrutiny over his financial affairs

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COUNT Binface claimed victory against Nigel Farage today after the polls opened in the Clacton by-election. The satirical candidate said getting re-elected as MP would not save the Reform UK leader from a Commons standards probe. In a post on X, the “galactic centrist” produced a flow chart also claiming victory over t

We may look at this by-election as the moment the far right lost their chance at power

Facing awkward questions about his finances, the anti-immigration politician dramatically announced that he’s quitting Parliament in order to run again, a move critics denounced as a ploy to dodge a parliamentary probe. So far only one candidate has announced plans to run against Farage: Count Binface, a comedian with

Nigel Farage, leader of the anti-immigration party Reform UK, had hoped a special election Thursday for his Parliament seat would help quell awkward questions about his finances.

The 'independent space warrior' has previously dabbled in foreign policy issues, including calling for an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia.

Commentary: Reform UK leader needs to get out the vote in the Essex constituency to justify quitting as the local MP just over a month ago

Polls opened Thursday in an eastern England by-election that pits hard-right leader Nigel Farage - often touted as a potential future British prime minister - against perennial joke candidate Count Binface in a vote shunned by the country's main political parties."If Count Binface does well in this election, it's not g

WALTON-ON-THE-NAZE, United Kingdom: Polls opened on Thursday (Aug 13) in an eastern England by-election that pits hard-right leader Nigel Farage - often touted as a potential future British prime minister - against perennial joke candidate Count Binface in a vote shunned by the country's main political parties.Polling

Tens of thousands of voters are heading to the polls Thursday in a special election in a small seaside resort just outside London that pits a potential candidate to be the next U.K. prime minister against a collection of independents, jokers and single-issue candidates, led by a man who wears a trash can on his head.

Alex O'Brien | Freelance journalist Published August 13, 2026 11:18am Updated August 13, 2026 11:18am Nigel Farage leaves a polling booth after casting his vote in the by-election (Picture: Victoria Jones/Shutterstock) Polling day for the Clacton by-election has arrived – and for many locals the outcome cannot come soo

NIGEL Farage has been spotted heading to the polls to cast his vote in the Clacton by-election. The Reform UK leader is one of a staggering 34 candidates standing in the constituency - a record number of wannabe MPs. Mr Farage quit as an MP to trigger the by-election in protest at media and parliamentary...

Polling stations opened around 7:00 am and will close by 10:00 pm, with counting beginning immediately and a result expected early Friday.

Nigel Farage faces 33 opponents despite the main Westminster parties boycotting a contest which they view as a stunt by the Reform UK leader

Polls open in crunch Clacton contest between Reform's Nigel Farage and Count Binface MEE staff on Wed, 08/12/2026 - 14:39 The Reform leader was elected MP for Clacton in 2024 but resigned last month to trigger the by-election, but a satirical candidate offers his biggest challenge The two

Thousands head to the polls in Clacton as Nigel Farage contests by-election one month after resigning  GB News

Nigel Farage, the right-wing populist leader, forced a by-election in his parliamentary seat of Clacton after he came under pressure over his financial declarations.

Polls have opened in the Clacton by-election after Reform UK leader Nigel Farage quit to trigger a contest in protest against scrutiny over donations to the party

LONDON, Aug 13 - Voters cast their ballots on Thursday in a local English election pitting Nigel Farage against his main challenger, a comedian dressed as a trash can, in a test of opposition to the Reform UK leader's brand of populist politics.

Reform UK's Farage faces off against Count Binface in election  Reuters

Nigel Farage faces 33 opponents despite the main Westminster parties boycotting a contest which they view as a stunt by the Reform UK leader.

Whilst Farage parades around the Clacton Leisure Centre, tooting his own horn and boasting that he has the establishment on the run, rival parties should very much prepare for a future contest. That, above all else, should be the takeaway from today’s foregone conclusion.

Nigel Farage is on course to win back his seat in the Clacton bye-election, which takes place today but he admits he took a major gamble in giving it up in the first place.

A special election is taking place Thursday in the seaside town of Clacton, just east of London

Nigel Farage faces off against Count Binface in special election that's been denounced as a stunt  apnews.com

Analysis of Reform UK’s £10,000 spend on online ads in Clacton by-election reveal a mix of anti-establishment rhetoric and more prosaic matters.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage triggered a byelection when he quit as Member of Parliament amid an investigation into his finances. Avneet Dhillon explains what led to the probe, and why his main challenger in the race is Count Binface — a candidate dressed as a giant trash can. (Photo credits: The Canadian Press, Reut

Nigel Farage is about to fight the least challenging electoral test of his political career.

"For a man who has built a career denouncing waste in Westminster and Whitehall, the contradiction is glaring, with the cost of polling stations, staff, security and a count of ballot papers"

Count Binface appears to have become Nigel Farage's main competition in the Clacton by-election - and now another rival party has talked about a potential dream collaboration - the Loony Bin

Nigel Farage is the clear favourite, but Count Binface is attracting serious support in a by-election featuring a record 34 candidates, including an Australian software engineer and three "Loonies".

The Reform UK leader quit as MP for Clacton last month to trigger a by-election to win back the Essex seat

Satirical candidates are a long-standing tradition in British politics, but few have made as much of an impression as Count Binface. TIME speaks to the novelty candidate ahead of the Clacton by-election.

Calling himself the "only fresh thing on the menu," the trash-talking candidate is now in a prime position for the upcoming vote.

LONDON (AP) — Nigel Farage depicts himself as an outsider taking on the establishment, but now the tables have turned.

Who will win the Clacton by-election? Hugo Gye, our Britain political correspondent, visits the seaside town

Set in motion by Farage amid a probe into his finances, the election may backfire as all of the major political parties denounced it as a stunt.