Clacton By-Election Features Record-Breaking Ballot Paper
Nigel Farage's resignation triggers a contest with an unprecedented number of candidates, drawing comparisons to historical electoral oddities.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Callum Smith
Voters in Clacton are set to participate in a by-election triggered by Nigel Farage's resignation.
This extensive field surpasses the previous record of 26 candidates, established in the Haltemprice and Howden by-election in July 2008.
The candidate list includes Joseph 77, Adham Alkhatip, Count Binface, Nick The Incredible Flying Brick, Tony Cane, Woke Trump Carrzee, William Stuart James Clouston, Rees Cowne, Glenn Charles Cummings, Martin Davies, Andy Erlam, Nigel Farage, Attieh Fard, Laurence Fox, Tony Francis, Robin Green, Abi Hookway, Howling Laud Hope, Stephen Richard Ingram, Amy Morris, Derrick Norbert Morris, Michael Noel O’Keeffe, Martyn OBrien, Nick Pelas, Ketankumar Pipaliya, Daniel Pocock, James Ransley, Gerry Smith, Kai Stephens, John Stevens, Baron Von Thunderclap, Pamela Walford, Marcus White, and Marc Wilkinson.
The main Westminster parties—Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Green Party, and Restore Britain—boycott the by-election; the Conservative Party dismissed the decision to hold the vote.
Among the contenders, Count Binface runs as a satirical candidate, echoing a tradition of novelty in British elections.
Historically, figures like David Sutch founded the Monster Raving Loony Party in 1983, contesting 39 elections. The Natural Law Party promoted Transcendental Meditation and 'yogic flying'.
James Goldsmith’s Referendum Party also fought the 1997 election on a single anti-EU issue, costing the Conservatives 16 to 18 seats.
UK electoral law permits registered political parties to field multiple candidates in a parliamentary by-election, provided each meets valid nomination and authorization criteria.
This contrasts with mayoral elections, which feature stricter eligibility rules, including residency or work requirements and more extensive nomination processes.
Homelessness remains a significant problem in Clacton, forming a stark backdrop to this unusual electoral event.
In the 2010 general election, John Stevens, a current candidate, gained enough votes to have his deposit returned.
Nigel Farage beat incumbent Conservative MP Giles Watling in a landslide two years ago, securing his previous tenure in the constituency.
However, Farage’s approval rating plummeted to its lowest point since the 2024 general election, according to pollsters.