Overview
- Polling begins Thursday, August 13, in a by‑election triggered when Nigel Farage resigned his Clacton seat in early July and then stood again to 'clear his name'.
- All main Westminster parties declined to run, leaving Reform UK’s Farage as the heavy favourite but with a high‑profile novelty rival, Count Binface, drawing national media attention.
- Recent polls show Binface with non‑trivial support — about 20% in a Survation constituency poll and roughly a third of adults preferring him in an Ipsos national survey — while some bookmakers are offering long odds on an upset.
- A separate thread of probes remains unresolved: the Parliamentary Standards investigation into a reported £5m gift was paused on Farage’s resignation and would likely resume if he is re‑elected, with a suspension over 10 sitting days able to trigger a recall petition requiring 10% of voters to remove him.
- The contest has become both a local spectacle, with a record 33–34 candidates and stunts such as a bin‑shaped flight path, and a reputational test for Reform UK that could have wider political effects if turnout, protest votes, or a revived inquiry produce further contests.