Farage wins Clacton by-election, skips result count amid security claims

Nigel Farage, leader of the UK's Reform UK party, secured a decisive victory in the Clacton by-election, defeating satirical candidate Count Binface. Farage declared his win "fairly decisive" to supporters, framing it as proof of strong backing for his political platform.

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I am not afraid of those people – quite the opposite. But I certainly will not stand on stage after a crushing victory, having received clear approval for everything I have fought for and you have fought for, for some unknown people to belittle and humiliate me. Therefore, unfortunately, I will not attend the vote count.

However, Farage opted not to attend the official results announcement at the Clacton Leisure Centre. His campaign cited advice from Essex Police about an "organized campaign" intended to disrupt and undermine the election outcome, suggesting a "real threat" to Farage's safety. This claim was later disputed by Essex Police, who stated they had not advised any candidate against attending the vote count.

Farage garnered 22,239 votes, significantly outnumbering Count Binface's 9,455. His margin of victory was 12,784 votes, capturing 62.82% of the total vote. This performance surpasses his win in the 2024 general election, where he secured a majority of 8,405 votes.

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Essex Police advised Nigel not to attend the count tonight due to a real threat to him.

The voter turnout for the by-election was 44.37%, lower than in the 2024 general election. Following the announcement, Farage was scheduled to deliver a significant speech, but Reform UK canceled it, stating the politician had already commented on the by-election result.

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We have taken proportionate and robust order measures to ensure the safety of all participants in the count.