Nigel Farage, leader of the far-right Reform UK party, was re-elected as Member of Parliament for the Clacton constituency in southeast England, receiving 62,8% of the total votes. Vote counting results on 14/8 confirmed his victory. Voter turnout for the by-election was 44%, Reuters reported.

"The result in Clacton says it all", Farage wrote on X, acknowledging his win.

Farage's main opponent was Count Binface, who secured second place with 26,7% of the votes. The remaining votes were divided among 18 other candidates.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (right) and Count Binface. Photo: AFP

Count Binface is a character self-proclaimed as a "space politician," created and portrayed by comedian Jon Harvey. Binface's distinctive image features a box-shaped hat, inspired by a bin, combined with a space suit. Harvey has put Binface forward in many UK elections over the years.

Binface, with over 200.000 followers on X, belongs to a group of candidates who run for office to satirize, gain attention, or offer a humorous approach to political issues. This tradition has existed in the UK since 1963, allowing individuals to use humor to engage with politics.

In the UK, almost anyone can run for parliament. Candidates only need to pay a deposit of 500 British pounds (675 USD) and have 10 nominators. This makes it possible for people to run and express their views without too many obstacles, contributing to a diverse and sometimes unconventional political landscape.

Far-right Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage casts his vote in Clacton on 13/8. Photo: AFP

The by-election took place after Farage resigned in early July, while under investigation regarding a 5 million British pounds (6,75 million USD) donation from an overseas crypto billionaire. He admitted receiving the money and not disclosing it, but denied related accusations. His resignation prompted the need for a new election in the constituency.

The Reform UK leader then ran to reclaim his seat, stating that those who had the right to judge him "must be the voters of Clacton". Meanwhile, major political parties in the UK called the election a publicity stunt and did not participate, leading to Binface becoming Farage's main opponent by default.

In absolute terms, Farage received 22.239 votes, 1.000 more than in the 2024 general election. However, Binface's receipt of 9.455 votes indicates a significant number of voters are dissatisfied with Farage, especially given that Clacton is one of the most right-leaning areas in the UK.

Farage did not attend the results announcement and did not give a victory speech, citing police warnings about a plot to disrupt the event. However, police stated that "no incidents or problems occurred", and attending the vote count was each candidate's decision.

Laura Richards-Gray, a politics lecturer at Birkbeck University, London, suggested that the major parties' non-participation undermined Farage's attempt to frame the election as a "people versus establishment" confrontation. She noted that this strategy did not yield the intended national impact.

"This backfired, especially on a national scale. Farage lost control of the narrative", Richards-Gray said, commenting on the broader perception of the by-election.

By Nhu Tam (According to CNN, Reuters)