Farage wins Clacton by-election, defeats rival Count Binface

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage

British hard-right leader Nigel Farage has won a snap UK election he triggered in Clacton on Friday, comfortably beating satirical opponent Count Binface as was expected, according to results.

Farage, who did not attend the result announcement, received 22,239 votes, electoral officials said, while runner-up Count Binface exceeded expectations with 9,455 votes.

Farage had declared victory in front of a crowd of supporters earlier on Friday, while the vote count was still ongoing.

Farage was largely expected to win in the constituency, where he was already an MP and where none of the country’s main parties were running.

Farage and Binface both beat a long list of joke candidates, independents and members of fringe political parties.

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Candidates on stage at the Clacton Leisure Centre, where the count was held, were seen cheering for each other as the results were announced, with many receiving fewer than 100 votes.

Voter turnout in Thursday’s election was 44 per cent, lower than the 59 per cent turnout recorded at the 2024 general election, but not unusual for a by-election.

The result was called just after 6 am (0500 GMT), with officials warning earlier in the night that the vote count would take longer than usual because of the long ballot papers.

AFP

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