Clacton by-election

Padstow13

I believe a character going by the name 'Count Binface' has nominated himself.

Is this a Monster Raving Looney Party candidate?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Binface

“Comedian and Independent Space Warrior Party!”

Like you Cossy I know the area.

The fact that he has continued support, shows that the other parties have a long way to go connecting with those of the electorate who feel disenfranchised and unheard.

Cossy

FriedGreenTomatoes2

I don’t regard this as a ‘waste of money’ *Maw. It’s about validation. The main stream parties have imploded with their inability to lead the country. They have constantly ignored what voters want, trashed their own manifestos or, as this Labour government has, completely deceived the electorate.

We want change writ large and Reform are the only party offering that. We no longer care about the dates of when money should have been declared or Parliamentary rules.

Parliament is in disarray. It no longer represents the people and that's its core point of existence. We all know that Nigel isn't going to be found 'not guilty' by the way they treat him and Reform in Parliament, we've seen it with our own eyes.

This is Brexit all over again, same establishment, same Nigel, only this time we're fighting for the country.

In your opinion, FGT, many of us on here and throughout the country simply may not agree with you.

Many of us may not feel Labour deceived us, we may feel we were constantly deceived by Tories for 14 years.

If our electorate feels as you state, and have done so for years, why is Farage not our PM?

I 100% agree with you FGT. your summing up is excellent.

GrannyGravy13

Like you Cossy I know the area.

The fact that he has continued support, shows that the other parties have a long way to go connecting with those of the electorate who feel disenfranchised and unheard.

I appreciate that, GG13, but as Farage has dome nothing for his constituents (Just as he did nothing for those who elected him as an MEP) and his sketchy economic policies will do nothing for them they will achieve nothing to alleviate their problems by continuing to support him.

We live in a democracy so ultimately the people decide.

Let’s say Andy Burnham becomes PM, calls a snap election and Reform win with an overall majority of at least 326 seats.

Serious question. How on earth could it form a government even assuming its current eight MPs all retained their seats?

149 cabinet positions to fill including 23 cabinet positions. With whom?

The rate of attrition in local government is astonishing. 40 councillors have gone since May 2026 to add to the 73 who had already gone from the May 2025 intake. Do you really think the intake for Westminster seats would be any better?

GrannyGravy13

Like you Cossy I know the area.

The fact that he has continued support, shows that the other parties have a long way to go connecting with those of the electorate who feel disenfranchised and unheard.

Yes I agree, though Farage’s two predecessors were both local and both very good MPs, they both started off as Tories, and they got involved in many local events and ran surgeries. Despite them not being my party of choice, they worked for their entire entire electorate.

Graphite

We live in a democracy so ultimately the people decide.

Let’s say Andy Burnham becomes PM, calls a snap election and Reform win with an overall majority of at least 326 seats.

Serious question. How on earth could it form a government even assuming its current eight MPs all retained their seats?

149 cabinet positions to fill including 23 cabinet positions. With whom?

The rate of attrition in local government is astonishing. 40 councillors have gone since May 2026 to add to the 73 who had already gone from the May 2025 intake. Do you really think the intake for Westminster seats would be any better?

It literally defies belief! Maybe this is what Reform are dreaming of, it would sadly, in all reality, fall apart, like many local councils have.

Mr Farage will be returned to his role of MP following the by election. The trifling (?) costs will, of course be paid by us.
Mr Farage will be investigated for any wrongdoing by the appropriate body, and if no wrongdoing is found, then life moves on.
If Mr Farage has broken the rules, then justice will take its' course, possibly triggering another by election in the future.
Some people may not care about Parliamentary rules being observed, but that is not their call to make.

You may feel, Meandrogrog, this is a good summing up by FGT, I respectfully disagree.

Farage may meet both your expectations as a UK MP. He doesn’t meet mine.

He’s not anti-establishment, he’s typifies the “establishment” (we may all have different understanding of what this actually represents)

He openly admits, even yesterday, that money is very important to him, as for his claim that he was bankrupted by becoming an MEP, this is both laughable and incredibly insulting to the tens of millions of us who manage an existence on far far less income than he’s ever had to.

If and when Farage lays out the “how” “when” and “how much” of his few policies (or whatever he calls them), then I’ll take him seriously as a political leader.

When he turns up and votes 77 times consecutively in the HiC (making up for the 77 consecutive votes he missed), when he opens a constituency office in Clacton and give his constituency some form of both contact and service, then I’ll take him seriously as an MP.

In all walks of life, actions speak far louder than words.

Even Rupert Lowe actually does things for his electorate!

AGAA4

The other parties refused to stand as they know it's a stunt to take the heat off Farage. They won't play his games.

If the other parties thought they could win they would stand. No doubt about that. They are cowards.

In your opinion Primrose. The other parties know full well what he is doing and won't engage. The only other to stand is "Binface* a comedian. Says it all really.

AGAA4

In your opinion Primrose. The other parties know full well what he is doing and won't engage. The only other to stand is "Binface* a comedian. Says it all really.

President Zelensky was a comedian who ran for office…

Obviously some very strong opinions each way. Says it all.

In fact, Jon Harvey (Binface) is a successful comedy writer, performer and producer who has worked on, amongst other shows, Yes, Minister and In The Thick Of It.

He might make a decent MP.

Farage's predecessor was actor Giles Watling.

ebdonmgt.com/actor/jon-harvey/comedy

I hope Count Binface wins. He couldn't do any worse for Clacton than Farage and may even be good for them.

AGAA4

In your opinion Primrose. The other parties know full well what he is doing and won't engage. The only other to stand is "Binface* a comedian. Says it all really.

Precisely!!

Which serious politician would actively engage in this pathetic theatrical “gameplaying”?

Farage could have still made his point, made his long televised speech and not called a by-election.

I sometimes feel we are in some form parallel universe or down Alice’s rabbit hole!

I think the editor of the Byline Times sums up how many people are feeling quite succinctly:

Never before has a politician announced their intention to run for re-election on an explicitly pro-sleaze, anti-transparency ticket. Never before has a politician gloried in having enriched themselves by breaking the rules, and then demanded a mandate to continue doing so indefinitely

bsky.app/profile/adambienkov.bsky.social/post/3mq4oypgkic25

11:13Cossy

How do you know all about what Farage does or doesn't do in Clacton? Do you track his everymove?

What do other MPs do I've never had any contact with mine only when it's a General Election and she sends me a letter. What does Angela Raynor do for her constituency seeing as she cashed out her money from her family home and did a chicken run to Brighton.

I've lived in many different places and never had any contact with any MP from any party.

So Farage is some sort of maverick taking on "the establishment"

Busy speaking up for the common man who has been been ignored for too long? He cares about abused girls, British values and our rights.

How can anybody really believe this?

12:36greyfur

Err yes why do you think Reform have led in over 300plus polls. Won the most council seats etc.

Count BinFace represents the establishment 😀 sounds about right, the so called UniParty, fancy Kemi joining forces with Lab and the LimpDems and Greens she won't be getting my vote ever again. Also funny how the UniParty say they will take part in the next by election in the Autumn do they have insider knowledge or is it all part of the witch hunt/stitch up mmmm.

Meandrogrog

Cossy

FriedGreenTomatoes2

I don’t regard this as a ‘waste of money’ *Maw. It’s about validation. The main stream parties have imploded with their inability to lead the country. They have constantly ignored what voters want, trashed their own manifestos or, as this Labour government has, completely deceived the electorate.

We want change writ large and Reform are the only party offering that. We no longer care about the dates of when money should have been declared or Parliamentary rules.

Parliament is in disarray. It no longer represents the people and that's its core point of existence. We all know that Nigel isn't going to be found 'not guilty' by the way they treat him and Reform in Parliament, we've seen it with our own eyes.

This is Brexit all over again, same establishment, same Nigel, only this time we're fighting for the country.

In your opinion, FGT, many of us on here and throughout the country simply may not agree with you.

Many of us may not feel Labour deceived us, we may feel we were constantly deceived by Tories for 14 years.

If our electorate feels as you state, and have done so for years, why is Farage not our PM?

I 100% agree with you FGT. your summing up is excellent.

Can you please tell me what Farage is going to do to make this country a better place? What are the policies that are going to bring about such a change? What is their great vision?

I've lived in many different places and never had any contact with any MP from any party.

There are about 73.000 registered voters in a UK constituency. Do you seriously think that a local MP should contact every single one of them?

How much interest do you take in your local MPs? Do you follow on social media? Follow what they do in Parliament? Have you contacted one to help you with a problem? Written to them to ask them to vote for or against something in a parliamentary vote?

If you've not done any of those things you're not really in a position to judge them on how they interact with their constituents, are you?

Sunshinegirls

11:13Cossy

How do you know all about what Farage does or doesn't do in Clacton? Do you track his everymove?

What do other MPs do I've never had any contact with mine only when it's a General Election and she sends me a letter. What does Angela Raynor do for her constituency seeing as she cashed out her money from her family home and did a chicken run to Brighton.

I've lived in many different places and never had any contact with any MP from any party.

Firstly, I do have contact from
my current MP, I get a monthly newsletter from him, along with everyone else in our constituency. He also runs surgeries and attends many local events, as did his predecessors.

Secondly, I spend the majority of my weekends in St. Osyth, in Farage’s constituency, and have friends in Frinton, also within his constituency.

Thirdly, I can read, so can see how many votes my own, or any other MP attends in the HoC.

I can also use Google and see how many times Farage is out of the country.

I follow politics on a regular basis, at least weekly, so have a pretty good idea about what many MPs are up to.

It’s very easy to find out about the public life of an MP, including their other jobs and their financial interest. They are a matter of public interest and the details are published for all to see.

I have zero interest in Farage, or any other MPs private lives, nor where they own other properties, including Rayner, whom you’ve just stated misinformation about. Her primary residence, and where she’s registered on the Election role, is in her constituency, of Ashton-under-Lyne, she runs regular surgeries and her constituency members can book 1-2-1 appointments with her, this is pretty normal for the majority of our MPs, regardless of their chosen political parties.

It’s all out there for us all to read, if we choose.

Sunshinegirls

Count BinFace represents the establishment 😀 sounds about right, the so called UniParty, fancy Kemi joining forces with Lab and the LimpDems and Greens she won't be getting my vote ever again. Also funny how the UniParty say they will take part in the next by election in the Autumn do they have insider knowledge or is it all part of the witch hunt/stitch up mmmm.

I heard Ed Davey on the radio today.

He was very clear that there was zero collusion between him and and any other of the three party leaders, Tory, Green and Labour, and that all four of them decided individually and independently not to take part in the unnecessary by-election.

His reasons appeared clear and genuine 1) by-elections cost hard cash to stand in, he feels it’s wasted money because the results are very likely to be the same as before, 2) he feels that the ethics committee should run its course and reach a conclusion, 3) He refuses to involve himself or his party in theatrical politics.