Clacton by-election

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

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

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

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…

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!”

I will repeat what has been said at various times on both the current Farage threads.

Firstly, he cannot just 'resign', there is a process to be followed and both the Chancellor and Parliament can frustrate his move by delaying it.

Secondly, the Standards Commission is likely to stop their enquiries over the period when he is not an MP but they can carry on if he is re-elected; they can even carry on if he isn't re-elected if they are so minded and sanction him by barring him from the Parliamentary estate. Which would not only keep him away from Parliament but withdraw any privileges he might have as an ex MP.

Additionally, Farage throwing a hissy fit because he is being subjected to the same media scrutiny as any other MP could be is not particularly impressive.

Primrose, Farage has already “won”, there’s no need for a by-election. No one standing against him from the major parties is because this is a totally needless, stupid and unecessary election, why would anyone bother to stand against him and waste their time and money?

I simply cannot understand why Farage is doing this? It’s all theatrics and pointless.

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.

GrannyGravy13

I was (and still am #lazygran) lazing around this morning and watching ITV Breakfast News.

They had a reporter in the Tendring constituency, all those who they vox popped were 100% for Nigel Farage.

He has still got a firm core of supporters, I guess that this must annoy others…

I don’t think “it annoys others”, I think it astounds some of us, however, those of us living in Essex might know the demographics of Tendring better than some. Whilst I’m still astounded that the good people of Clacton still support Farage, I’m also not surprised. They are the very people Farage is aiming at, they genuinely believe he is a “man of the people”, they feel disenfranchised by mainstream politics, remember they did have a UKIP MP (albeit one who crossed the floor from Tory), he was visible and he did work for the people of Clacton, they’ll see Farage in the same light. (I would imagine).

With Pier Ward and Jaywick within Farage’s wards, there are pockets of deprivation and very frustrated people. Farage is well aware of this, his “speech” yesterday will 100% be believed and will just strengthen support.

He did not need to call a by-election, he already has much support, it’s theatrics at its very worst, and, in my humble opinion, extremely Trumplike.

The way I see it is that if there is dirt to dig, it will be dug. If people break the rules, they will most likely ultimately be found out, and they will not only face the parliamentary consequences, they will be hounded by the media, and where there are facts about criminal activity, reported to the police. This is not the USA, and individuals are not able to bypass sanctions in the same way here.

My gut feeling is that Farage has run out of road, it wouldn’t surprise me if he resigns altogether rather than go through two by elections.

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

Is this a Monster Raving Looney Party candidate?

FriedGreenTomatoes2

How rude to say “Have it if you want it” LemonJam!

I’m on holiday Maw so pop in less frequently but your thread about a by-election in Clacton interested me. It’s topical. It’s separate to the nebulous ‘Where’s Nigel’ thread.

You and I (plus any other interested in this specific topic) could just chat amongst ourselves then! 😂

One point I would like to make about this witch hunt of Farage, who has tried several times to make his point and feels very frustrated now.

Apparently in 2005, the Lib Dems took a donation of £2.4M, (about £4.6M today), from a convicted fraudster Michael Brown. The Lib Dems refused to give back the money to his victims, and the Parliamentary Ombudsman said the Electoral Commission "did not make adequate inquiries of the party" .

That was it, no parliamentary investigation, or media hue and cry. Now all parties are lining up to call Farage guilty, before any evidence or investigation.

I agree. It is a witch hunt and they are running scared. The cheek of Starmer on TV saying Farage was (something like) covered in sleaze. Starmer conveniently forgot all the sleaze HE was involved with including Mandelson, free handouts etc.

Of course the others refused to stand in the by election because they know Farage will win and they will look very stupid.

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 was (and still am #lazygran) lazing around this morning and watching ITV Breakfast News.

They had a reporter in the Tendring constituency, all those who they vox popped were 100% for Nigel Farage.

He has still got a firm core of supporters, I guess that this must annoy others…