1st · Elected
Nigel Farage
Reform UK
22,239 votes
Result declared · 14 August 2026
Clacton by-election result 2026
Nigel Farage won the Clacton by-election with 22,239 votes (63.34%). Count Binface finished second with 9,455 votes (26.93%). Reform UK held the seat.
WinnerNigel Farage
Majority12,784
Turnout44.37%
Candidates34 — UK record
Result at a glance
The top two took more than 90% of listed candidate votes
Vote shares below are calculated from the 35,111 candidate votes in Tendring District Council's declared result.
2nd
Count Binface
Count Binface Party
9,455 votes
All other 32 candidates combined3,417 votes · 9.73%
Complete declared result
All 34 candidates
Council-declared votes; shares calculated from 35,111 listed candidate votes.
34 candidates shown
| Candidate Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nigel Farage ElectedReform UK | 22,239 | 63.34% |
| Count BinfaceCount Binface Party | 9,455 | 26.93% |
| John StevensRejoin EU | 492 | 1.40% |
| Tony FrancisIndependent | 432 | 1.23% |
| Pamela WalfordIndependent | 371 | 1.06% |
| Laurence FoxThe Reclaim Party | 347 | 0.99% |
| William Stuart James CloustonSocial Democratic Party | 256 | 0.73% |
| Nick PelasIndependent | 202 | 0.58% |
| James RansleyConsensus Party Candidate | 192 | 0.55% |
| Stephen Richard IngramIndependent | 159 | 0.45% |
| Kai StephensBritish Democrats | 132 | 0.38% |
| Attieh FardIndependent | 126 | 0.36% |
| Derrick Norbert MorrisIndependent | 100 | 0.28% |
| Michael Noel O'KeeffeIndependent | 65 | 0.19% |
| Martin DaviesFreedom Alliance - Real People, Real Alternative! | 60 | 0.17% |
| Robin GreenIndependent | 59 | 0.17% |
| Rees CowneIndependent | 50 | 0.14% |
| Adham AlkhatipThe Forward Party | 49 | 0.14% |
| Amy MorrisIndependent | 46 | 0.13% |
| Andy ErlamIndependent | 44 | 0.13% |
| Joseph 77Independent | 42 | 0.12% |
| Nick The Incredible Flying BrickThe Official Monster Raving Loony Party | 28 | 0.08% |
| Ketankumar PipaliyaUK VOICE safer and stronger UK | 21 | 0.06% |
| Martyn OBrienIndependent | 19 | 0.05% |
| Howling Laud HopeThe Official Monster Raving Loony Party | 18 | 0.05% |
| Tony CaneIndependent | 17 | 0.05% |
| Daniel PocockIndependent | 16 | 0.05% |
| Baron Von ThunderclapThe Official Monster Raving Loony Party | 15 | 0.04% |
| Abi HookwayIndependent | 14 | 0.04% |
| Marc WilkinsonIndependent | 11 | 0.03% |
| Marcus WhiteEveryone is God Party | 10 | 0.03% |
| Gerry SmithIndependent | 9 | 0.03% |
| Woke Trump CarrzeeIndependent | 8 | 0.02% |
| Glenn Charles CummingsIndependent | 7 | 0.02% |
Deposit threshold: a UK parliamentary candidate gets the £500 deposit back only by polling more than 5% of valid votes. On these figures, only Farage and Binface cleared that threshold.
Official vote source: Tendring District Council declaration, 14 August 2026. The council reported turnout separately as 44.37%.
Context, not a swing calculation
2024 general election vs 2026 by-election
Farage increased both his raw vote and vote share despite lower turnout. But this is not a like-for-like party comparison: the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Greens did not field candidates in the 2026 by-election.
2024 general election2026 by-election
Farage votes21,22522,239
Farage share46.2%63.34%
Turnout58.7%44.37%
Candidates934
Conservative / Labour / Lib Dem / Green candidatesYesNo
What changed numerically? Farage received 1,014 more votes than in 2024, while his calculated share rose by 17.14 percentage points. Turnout fell by 14.33 points. Because the candidate field changed so dramatically, those movements should not be read as a normal party-to-party swing.
2024 figures: UK Parliament election record.
Why the vote happened
Farage resigned, creating a vacancy — then stood again
UK Parliament records the reason for the by-election as Nigel Farage's resignation on 8 July 2026. Tendring District Council then received the writ and set polling day for 13 August.
Parliament also currently lists a standards investigation involving Farage, opened on 13 May 2026, concerning an alleged failure to register an interest under Rule 5. Parliament explicitly says that the existence of an inquiry does not mean the rules were broken.
This site does not treat the inquiry as a finding, and does not infer a motive for the resignation beyond what the official records establish.
Official records: by-election reason · current standards investigations.
Election timeline
From investigation to declaration
- Standards inquiry opened
Parliament lists a Rule 5 investigation concerning an alleged failure to register an interest.
- Farage resigned as Clacton MP
The resignation created the parliamentary vacancy.
- By-election date set
Tendring received the writ and confirmed a 13 August poll.
- Record field confirmed
Nominations closed with 34 candidates — the largest field recorded for a UK parliamentary election.
- Polling day
Polling stations were open from 7am to 10pm.
- Result declared
Farage won with 22,239 votes; turnout was 44.37%.
Official count footage
Watch the Tendring District Council count stream
The council streamed the count venue and result declaration. Audio is mainly present for announcements made in the venue.
Official embed supplied by Tendring District Council.
Tendring District Council · 13–14 August 2026
Loads the privacy-enhanced YouTube player only when you choose to play.
Common questions
Clacton by-election questions, answered
What is a UK parliamentary by-election?
It is an election held in one constituency between general elections when its House of Commons seat becomes vacant. For a US reader, the closest shorthand is a congressional special election, although the legal systems differ.
Could Count Binface really have become an MP?
Yes. Count Binface was a validly nominated candidate on the ballot. Parliamentary elections do not apply a different winning rule to satirical or unusually named candidates: the candidate with the most votes is elected.
Why were there 34 candidates?
Thirty-four separate candidates completed the nomination process, producing what Tendring District Council says is the highest number ever recorded for a UK parliamentary election. The field included established parties, smaller parties, independents and satirical candidates. There is no single verified explanation for every candidate's decision to stand.
Which candidates got their £500 deposits back?
The Electoral Commission says a candidate's £500 deposit is returned only if they poll more than 5% of valid votes. Using the council's listed candidate votes, only Nigel Farage (63.34%) and Count Binface (26.93%) cleared that threshold.
Is another Clacton by-election now guaranteed?
No. A current standards investigation is not itself a recall trigger, and Parliament says an investigation does not mean rules were broken. Any future recall process would have to meet the statutory conditions and, if opened, reach the 10% petition threshold.
Looking for the 2014 Clacton by-election?
That earlier contest was held on 9 October 2014. Douglas Carswell won for UKIP with 21,113 votes (59.7%), a majority of 12,404, on 51.1% turnout. It used the former constituency boundaries; Parliament notes that the current Clacton constituency's election history starts with the 2024 general election after the 2023 boundary review.