Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has regained his parliamentary seat after defeating satirical candidate Count Binface in a closely watched by-election in Clacton, England.
Farage secured 22,239 votes, while Count Binface received 9,455 votes, his best-ever electoral result after contesting six elections since 2019.
The by-election was triggered after Farage resigned as MP last month amid scrutiny over an alleged undeclared £5 million donation from a cryptocurrency billionaire. Farage has denied wrongdoing and said he had not broken the law.
The election attracted 33 candidates, including several independents, fringe-party candidates and satirical contenders, after major UK political parties chose not to contest the seat.
Farage said the result was a “convincing, overwhelming win” and claimed voters in Clacton had rejected the country’s political establishment.
Count Binface, known for wearing a rubbish bin on his head and describing himself as an “intergalactic space warrior”, responded humorously, saying there was “more than one way to win.”
Voter turnout was 44 percent, compared with 59 percent at the 2024 general election.
Farage, a prominent Brexit campaigner and right-wing populist, is widely viewed as a potential future candidate for prime minister. He has made reducing migration a central part of Reform UK’s political agenda.
Despite his victory in Clacton, the result comes as Reform UK faces wider questions over its popularity and Farage’s political ambitions.
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