Clacton by-election

I am worried that the key opposition vote might be split between Count Binface and the Monster Raving Loony Party, both of which have better thought-out manifestos than Farage.

I wish the people of Clacton would see that Farage has not and will not do anything for them and give someone else a chance. A vain hope but I would love to see him lose Clacton. He doesn't deserve it.

Well indeed cossy

Really, he's just attention seeking, given his personality, does he care? Nah.

Those with power atm have to work hard to offer what is needed in Clacton and other places suffering in a similar way - trouble is, resources and needs are very stretched. there is no easy answers.

I’m sure he will be and what an empty exercise it will all have been. It won’t make a jot of difference to the people investigating his finances other than to postpone things for a few weeks.

I see more is being revealed about Cottrell’s involvement and financial support in 2024.

Farage has a habit of falling out with people and treating them badly so there’s no shortage of people willing to “spill the tea” now including Tony Mack the 2024 Reform candidate for Clacton who was bumped when Farage decided to parachuted in.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/09/fraudster-cottrell-was-introduced-as-farage-chief-of-staff-says-ex-reform-candidate

Graphite

I doubt you'd see him. He was notably absent from local hustings events for the 2024 general election in Clacton. Other candidates gathered for formal debates hosted by the BBC and other community groups, but he skipped them because, as we have come to know ,he doesn't like answering questions. He prefers to wander about flanked by bodyguards. Empty vessel.

I’ll be amazed if he turns up, but given Clacton now seems to have far more candidates that we expected, they should be in for some interesting hustings.

I have no doubt that Farage will emerge the victor, I recall Trump stating once that he could shoot someone in a busy street in broad daylight and his hard core followers would still support him 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

And that, Graphite is the matter that needs to be shouted from the rooftops!

But all Farage does is blame it on "others", the "not us". Populist, but how will that help those in that level of deprivation? Because the realities of population movements are - all over Europe cannot be addressed by a single country, and we have made it harder for ourselves by coming out of the EU.

We moan

- try being on the front line, like the Islands of Greece, near Syria and across the Mediterranean Sea. (an excellent programme on the Beeb last night on the effects of the influx of incomers by boat - 2000 a day on Lesbos alone)

(Well worth a watch, it's not just on that topic at all with the excellent young Simon Reeve - we see its loveliness too www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p03gk69p/greece-with-simon-reeve

....but does give such a clear picture to take us away from purely domestic obsessions on the topic which is where the Far Right would take us.

I doubt you'd see him. He was notably absent from local hustings events for the 2024 general election in Clacton. Other candidates gathered for formal debates hosted by the BBC and other community groups, but he skipped them because, as we have come to know ,he doesn't like answering questions. He prefers to wander about flanked by bodyguards. Empty vessel.

I do hope they televise the hustings.

What is relevant to the Clacton by-election is that the 2024 local data profile for Clacton produced by the DLUHC showed that:

Over 60% of Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs) in Clacton-on-Sea were in the top 20% most deprived in England in terms of Education, Skills and Training, and Health Deprivation and Disability.

Health Deprivation and Disability (34.3% ) and Education, Skills and Training (31.4% ) were the domains that had the largest proportion of Clacton-on-Sea’s LSOAs in the top 10% most deprived in England.

(A Lower Layer Super Output Area (LSOA) is a small geographic hierarchy used in England and Wales to report small-area census statistics. Designed by the Office for National Statistics, they consistently contain between 1,000 to 3,000 residents and 400 to 1,200 households).

If any area needed an MP who would take an interest in the needs of their constituents, it’s Clacton and yet sadly the people voted for the MP least likely to work for them … and will probably do so again - because a comedy bin isn’t go to do much for them either.

The most significant concern is young people, they are more likely to claim disability allowance than people in older age groups up to the age of 50.

Cossy

FriedGreenTomatoes2

PIP:
Could explain why a quarter of the UK population now considers themselves ‘disabled’.

Where have you got that stat from??

As in all these “shock” claims, actually bother to look at the underlying data and you see how numbers can be misinterpreted to fit a narrative.

A quarter of the participants were state pension age.

The disability types were: mobility, stamina, dexterity, mental health, memory, hearing, vision, learning and other.

Unsurprisingly, a substantial number of older people said they had problems with most of those particular mobility, stamina, dexterity, memory, hearing and vision.

The report data does not indicate or whether participants were receiving state support for a disability. It was mainly looking at barriers across areas of life.

Just under two thirds (64%) of people aged 85 or over reported a disability - which really isn’t surprising at all.

The report says that the number of people entitled to receive a disability benefit has risen from 4.4 million in May 2005 (7.4% of the population) to 6.9 million in May 2025 (10.8% of the population).

researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9602/CBP-9602.pdf

Galaxy

The number of young people claiming disability benefit has doubled in the last 5 years.

Yes, we need to find ways of enabling that group. 10 minutes whilst at the unemployment office just doesn’t hack it.

Remember that claiming PIP often actually is to enable people with disabilities to work, the 8% is not ‘unemployed’

The number of young people claiming disability benefit has doubled in the last 5 years.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Cossy

FriedGreenTomatoes2

PIP:
Could explain why a quarter of the UK population now considers themselves ‘disabled’.

Where have you got that stat from??

I looked it up via Google.

Athsma and hearing difficulties for example are included, so not quite as dramatic as it appears.

A quick trip to Spec Savers, no need to be claiming PIP.

Casdon

8.4% of the working age adult population claim PIP. Presumably the adult population includes all ages?

Yes, but PIP is only payable to those aged 18-67 (at the time of claim).

Under 18’s make a claim, via their parents to DLA and over 67’s to Attendance Allowance, rates are the same as PIP, but AA has no mobility element.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Right time for a dip in the pool it’s 🔥 in Málaga.
I bid you all a good day. 😁

Enjoy 🧜‍♀️🧜‍♀️

FGT Perhaps a quarter of the population do have some form of disability. Are you stating a quarter of our population receive PIP?

8.4% of the working age adult population claim PIP. Presumably the adult population includes all ages?

* either/or not neither/nor

Right time for a dip in the pool it’s 🔥 in Málaga.
I bid you all a good day. 😁

FriedGreenTomatoes2

PIP:
Could explain why a quarter of the UK population now considers themselves ‘disabled’.

What is this nonsense?

Checked the stats.

Only 8% of the working population claims PIP.
In the whole population. Including of course children and any adult disability, it’s 6%.

Look, the point here is so simple, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want decent, appropriate, sustainable education/housing/employment/healthcare;

What and how exactly is Farage and Reform going to make this happen in a timescale which will suit voters (I’m assuming this will have to happen in less than 24 months!)

Please tell me.

In most countries there is a significant core of people who will listen to people that tell them that immigrants or a particular minority group are the cause of their problems.

I think that that statement isn't necessarily true and discredits the intelligence of our European friends. They don't need to be told anything, they've seen it with their own eyes. The supporters abroad bring up their fears of migrants, unprompted.

I do agree that the presence alone of Farage seems enough to evoke this strong feeling, but on the whole I don't believe that neither Meloni nor Bardella for example, makes it all about the ills of immigration, but more about restoring traditional national values.

Cossy

FriedGreenTomatoes2

PIP:
Could explain why a quarter of the UK population now considers themselves ‘disabled’.

Where have you got that stat from??

I looked it up via Google.