Nigel Farage beats Count Binface to regain UK parliamentary seat in widely mocked by-election

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage regained his parliamentary seat on Friday in an election he triggered to bolster his position against allegations of financial impropriety, a strategy that was undermined when his main challenger, a comedian dressed as a rubbish bin, won more than a quarter of the vote.

Read moreCount Binface, the satirical UK candidate challenging far-right Farage

Farage, one of Britain’s ​leading Brexit campaigners, in ‌a highly unusual move did not turn up at count in the southern English seaside resort of Clacton because he ⁠said the police had advised him that there was a campaign to disrupt the result.

“I am damned if I am going to stand on a stage, having won a resounding victory…. and be demeaned and humiliated by nobodies,” Farage ‌told supporters at a party before the result was announced.

The election was triggered after Farage resigned from parliament last month to ⁠seek a fresh mandate from voters in what he described as a war against an establishment bent on discrediting him over taking undeclared gifts from donors.

After Britain’s main parties pulled out of the race, calling it a self-serving stunt, Farage’s main challenger ended up being Count Binface, ​a figure created by comedian Jonathan Harvey, who has become a fixture of fun at British elections.

While Farage took 62.8 percent ‌of the vote, Count Binface, whose policies included capping the price of ice cream cones and conscripting anyone using a speakerphone on public transport, secured 26.7 percent.

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

Reform’s momentum shows signs of slowing

After enjoying a lengthy lead in the opinion polls, Reform has seen its popularity wane, driven partly by the funding accusations made against Farage, who is under investigation in parliament ‌over whether he should have declared a £5 million ($6.75 million) gift from a cryptocurrency billionaire investor.

After declaring his decision to trigger the election in Clacton little more than a ploy to distract from those allegations, other British parties ​pulled out of the race, leaving even some of Farage’s strongest supporters questioning whether the veteran politician had been wrong-footed.

Read moreBritain’s Farage resigns as MP to stand for re-election amid furore over gift worth millions

Laura Richards-Gray, a politics lecturer at Birkbeck University in London, said the absence of major-party opponents undermined his attempt to turn it into what he called a “people versus the establishment” contest.

“This has backfired, particularly ​nationally, as Farage lost control of the narrative,” she said, adding some voters saw the election as “a waste of time and money”.

Farage’s position has not been ​helped by a rise in support for the governing Labour Party.

Since Andy Burnham became prime minister last month, ​Labour has been enjoying a bounce in ratings, with the party leading Reform 28 percent to 25 percent.

Read moreUK Prime Minister Andy Burnham unveils new government, replacing Starmer era

Burnham has dominated the airwaves and social media in his first few weeks in office, and while the next national election is expected in three ​years’ time, he appears to be consolidating a left-leaning bloc around Labour.

Reform, on the other hand, is competing for a divided right-wing vote with the Conservative Party and the anti-immigration party Restore Britain gaining in support.

Gift from billionaire crypto investor

Despite winning this vote, the parliamentary watchdog is expected to continue its investigation into his financial declarations once he returns to parliament.

At the heart of the investigation is whether he should have declared the gift from a Thailand-based billionaire before the 2024 national election.

Under parliamentary ⁠rules, members of parliament must declare any donations received in the year preceding an election within one month of taking office.

Farage has admitted receiving the money, but not declaring it, saying he has ⁠done nothing wrong because it ​was a personal gift.

If the parliamentary authorities, who are investigating, conclude that Farage breached declaration rules, he could face a suspension from parliament, and another vote to retain his seat, where the main parties would probably field candidates.

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters and AFP)