Overview
- Earlier this week Nigel Farage resigned his Clacton seat and immediately announced he will stand again in the by‑election he has forced.
- The resignation suspends the parliamentary standards inquiry into a reported £5 million gift from Christopher Harborne but that investigation would likely restart if Farage is re‑elected.
- London’s Metropolitan Police are probing contested Reform UK donations, including about £500,000 linked to Fiona Cottrell, and have interviewed two people under caution.
- Tendring District Council set the by‑poll for August 13 and fixed nominations for July 14–17, while major parties including Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats say they will not stand.
- Count Binface, a satirical candidate, has become the highest‑profile challenger and national polls show unusual public appetite for an alternative even though pollsters and academics still rate Farage as the local favourite.