Clacton By-Election Draws 34 Candidates Amid Major Party Boycott
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage faces a crowded field, including novelty candidate Count Binface, in the 13 August contest.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Sarah Connor
The Clacton byelection, scheduled for 13 August, features an unprecedented 34 candidates.
Count Binface is understood to be the persona of comedian Jon Harvey, who previously ran in the 2021 and 2024 London Mayoral elections.
Clacton, once a safe Conservative seat, now sees all main Westminster parties, including Restore Britain, boycotting this by-election.
Reform, the Social Democratic Party, and Rejoin EU stand as the only established political parties contesting the election.
John Stevens campaigns for the Rejoin EU party in the Clacton by-election, reportedly facing strong opposition from fellow pro-Europeans.
These pro-Europeans accuse Stevens of splitting the anti-Farage vote; prominent figures have admonished him for campaigning.
Some suggest pro-Europeans relying on Binface to challenge Farage may face disappointment.
An Ipsos poll indicates 25% of voters nationally hold a positive view of joke candidates, though this figure drops to 13% among Conservative voters.
A huge media operation is reportedly in full swing, with the hope that Clacton voters will embarrass Farage.
Many people felt uncomfortable expressing their opposition to Farage by voting for Binface, despite claims that most people outside the Essex constituency have already backed the bin.
The political and media class may believe they are doing voters a favour by turning the by-election into a joke.
Oddschecker cited odds of 1/50 to 1/250 for a Reform victory and 11/1 to 48/1 for Count Binface on Tuesday, 11 August.
The result is expected in the early hours of Friday, potentially between 2am and 6am.