By-Election
Clacton by-election
East of England · Thursday 13 August 2026 ·
The Clacton by-election is on Thursday 13 August 2026, with polls open from 07:00 to 22:00.
- Called
- Writ moved
- Nominations
- Polling day
- Result
At a glance
- Result (14 August 2026): Nigel Farage held Clacton for Reform UK with 63.3% of the vote and a majority of 12,784 over Count Binface (26.9%), on a turnout of 44.4%.
- Nigel Farage left his Clacton seat on 8 July 2026 and is no longer an MP; he is standing again in the resulting by-election.
- Polling day was Thursday 13 August 2026; the result was declared on 14 August. The House approved the moving of the writ on 9 July 2026.
- A record 34 candidates stood, confirmed in the Statement of Persons Nominated on 17 July 2026. This is believed to be the most for a UK parliamentary election, passing the 26 at the 2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election.
- Every other main party boycotted the contest rather than stand against Farage, calling it a stunt to distract from a Commons standards case over a £5m payment.
- The first constituency poll (Survation for Mandate Research, reported 2 August 2026) puts Farage on about 73% on a low turnout, with Count Binface second on about 20%.
- Farage won Clacton in 2024 with 46.2%, entering Parliament at his seventh attempt.
Result
Winner
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Majority
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Turnout
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- votes
Declared
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Full result: all 34 candidates
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
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Latest updates
- 14 Aug 2026Result declared: Nigel Farage holds Clacton for Reform UK with 63.3% of the vote (22,239) and a majority of 12,784 over Count Binface, who took 26.9% (9,455). Turnout 44.4%. A record 34 candidates stood.
- 8 Aug 2026The Times reports that Nigel Farage's campaign had not appreciated that the Commons standards investigation into his finances would automatically resume if he wins back the seat.
- 8 Aug 2026Count Binface steps up his campaign with a run of stunts, including a dustbin-shaped flight path flown off the Clacton coast and canvassers handing out 'Clean up Clacton' leaflets from wheelie bins.
- 3 Aug 2026Survation publishes the first constituency poll of the by-election (for Mandate Research; telephone, 502 Clacton adults, fieldwork 16 to 24 July): Nigel Farage about 73%, Count Binface about 20%, on a low expected turnout. In a head-to-head, Farage leads Binface 69% to 31%. First reported by The Times on 2 August.
- 29 Jul 2026The deadline to apply for a postal vote passes (5pm). Registration to vote closed on 28 July; proxy applications close on 5 August.
- 27 Jul 2026Count Binface launches a 20-pledge manifesto, several of the pledges aimed at Nigel Farage.
- 17 Jul 2026Nominations close. Tendring District Council publishes the Statement of Persons Nominated, confirming a record 34 candidates - the most for a UK parliamentary election, passing the 26 at the 2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election.
- 14 Jul 2026William Clouston, the SDP leader, says the party will stand in the by-election.
- 14 Jul 2026The Climate Party stands down from the by-election.
- 14 Jul 2026Rob Pownall withdraws from the by-election.
- 11 Jul 2026Robert Elwes says he will stand as an independent, campaigning for Family Farmers against the Farm Tax.
- 11 Jul 2026An Ipsos national survey asks British adults which of Count Binface and Nigel Farage they would prefer to win the by-election: Count Binface 33%, Nigel Farage 21%, neither 32%, don't know 13% (Britain-wide attitudes, not a Clacton vote).
- 10 Jul 2026Amelia Randall, of the Balanced Britain Party, withdraws from the by-election.
- 10 Jul 2026Polling day for the Clacton by-election is confirmed as Thursday 13 August 2026.
- 9 Jul 2026The House approves the moving of the writ for the Clacton by-election. Polling day has not been announced.
- 9 Jul 2026Reform UK says it will move the writ and is proposing polling day on 6 August; Westminster reporting suggests the statutory timetable may not allow a date before 13 August.
- 9 Jul 2026Ollie Granger, a television professional, says he is seeking to stand as an independent candidate.
- 8 Jul 2026Adham Alkhatip is named as the Forward Party candidate for the by-election.
- 8 Jul 2026The British Democratic Party say they will stand, naming Kai Stephens as their candidate.
- 8 Jul 2026The Climate Party says it will stand, arguing Farage should not get an easy run while the main parties boycott the contest.
- 8 Jul 2026YouGov publishes the first poll on the by-election: Britons oppose it 43% to 24%, and 60% say Farage has not been honest about his finances (national attitudes, not a Clacton vote).
- 8 Jul 2026Farage is appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, formally vacating the Clacton seat. He is no longer an MP; the by-election follows once the writ is moved.
- 7 Jul 2026The Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Greens and Restore Britain all say they will boycott the contest, calling it a distraction from the standards case against Farage.
- 7 Jul 2026Reclaim's Laurence Fox, the Rejoin EU Party and the Monster Raving Loony Party say they intend to stand.
- 7 Jul 2026Farage announces at a press conference that he will resign as Clacton MP and stand in the by-election (BBC News).
PollCheck nowcast
Lead
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Win probability
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As of
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Why this by-election
Triggered by Nigel Farage (Reform UK), who resigned the Clacton seat on 8 July 2026 and is standing again in the by-election.
Key dates
| Writ moved | 9 July 2026 |
|---|---|
| Notice of election | 13 July 2026 |
| Nominations close | 4pm, 17 July 2026 |
| Voter registration deadline | 28 July 2026 |
| Postal vote deadline | 5pm, 29 July 2026 |
| Proxy vote deadline | 5pm, 5 August 2026 |
| Polling day | Thursday 13 August 2026 |
| Polls open | 07:00 - 22:00 |
First poll of Clacton voters
Clacton constituency poll
Reported on 2 August 2026: Survation, for Mandate Research. This is the first poll of Clacton constituents, rather than a survey of national opinion. It puts Nigel Farage on about 73% on a very low expected turnout, with the satirical candidate Count Binface second on about 20%. The remaining support is spread across the other 32 candidates.
By-election voting intention (%)
Head-to-head, Farage v Binface (%)
The same research asked how people would vote at a general election, a scenario in which the main parties would field candidates. On that question Clacton voters put Farage on about 56%, the Conservatives on 10% and Labour on 8%.
Public opinion: national attitudes
The surveys below measure Britain-wide attitudes to the contest, not how Clacton will vote. A YouGov snap survey found Britons oppose the contest by 43% to 24%, and 60% say Farage has not been honest about his finances, against 12% who say he has. Even among his own 2024 Reform voters, only 40% think he has been honest.
Who would you prefer to win?
A national Ipsos survey asked British adults which of Count Binface and Nigel Farage, if either, they would prefer to win the by-election. Count Binface was on 33% and Nigel Farage on 21%, with 32% preferring neither and 13% saying they did not know. As with the YouGov poll, this is a Britain-wide sample, not a measure of how Clacton will vote.
Should Farage be re-elected?
An Opinium survey for The Spectator asked UK adults whether the voters of Clacton should re-elect Farage. Overall 52% said he should not, 27% said he should and 21% were not sure. The same poll found 44% think Farage was right to call the by-election and 31% think he was wrong. This is a national sample giving a view on the contest, not a measure of how Clacton itself will vote.
Should Farage be re-elected, by current voting intention (%):
| Current vote | Should | Not sure | Should not |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reform | 74 | 14 | 12 |
| Conservative | 28 | 19 | 53 |
| Labour | 20 | 10 | 70 |
| Liberal Democrat | 11 | 11 | 78 |
| Green | 9 | 11 | 80 |
Do voters accept Farage's stated reason?
A Prolific survey asked UK adults about the reasons Farage gave for resigning and standing again. 25% said they believe his stated reason and 67% said they do not, with 50% of the whole sample saying they completely disbelieve it.
The same survey found 75% said the by-election is a distraction from the inquiries into him, 73% said he probably did something wrong over the declaration of gifts, and 20% said a win in Clacton would clear his name. 69% said other parties should stand candidates against him.
Among respondents who lean Reform UK, 84% accepted his stated reason, 40% said the by-election is a distraction from the inquiries, 17% said he probably did something wrong, and 68% said a win would clear his name. This subgroup is small (n=125), so these figures are indicative only.
Should the standards investigation continue?
The same Ipsos survey asked about the parliamentary standards case. 74% said the standards commissioner should be investigating whether Farage broke rules by failing to declare a £5m gift from a Reform UK donor, and 73% said the investigation should continue even if he wins the by-election, against 15% who said it should not.
Should other parties stand?
With the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Greens and Restore Britain all declining to contest the seat, a Prolific poll asked whether other parties should stand candidates against Farage in Clacton. 69% said they should (45% definitely, 24% probably) and 16% said they should not. Among Reform's own 2024 voters, 66% said other parties should stand.
Candidates
A record 34 candidates are standing, confirmed in the Statement of Persons Nominated published by Tendring District Council on 17 July 2026. This is believed to be a record for a UK parliamentary election, passing the 26 candidates at the 2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election. Candidates are listed in the order given in the Statement of Persons Nominated.
CB
Confirmed not standing
None of these parties appears on the ballot; they are boycotting the by-election rather than standing against Farage, calling it a stunt to distract from a Commons standards case (see below).
Full list from the Statement of Persons Nominated, Tendring District Council, 17 July 2026. Candidate profile links via Who Can I Vote For (Democracy Club). Images: Count Binface by Jpdfive, CC BY-SA 4.0; Nigel Farage via UK Parliament.
Why no other party is standing
Farage triggered the by-election by resigning his own seat, amid a Commons standards case over the declaration of a £5m payment he received in 2024. Rather than field candidates against him, every other main party has said it will boycott the contest, framing it as an attempt to distract from that investigation.
The Conservatives' Kemi Badenoch called it a "fake by-election" and an "ego by-election", said Farage should "man up and answer some questions", and said the Tories would instead fight "the real by-election" once the standards process concludes. Labour said it would not stand in "this circus". The Liberal Democrats' Ed Davey called it "Farage's vanity project", urged rival parties to "refuse to give oxygen" to it, and asked the government to block the poll until the standards commissioner reports. Restore Britain's Rupert Lowe said the people of Clacton "do not need a media circus descending on their town... because their MP has made a series of bad decisions". The Greens are also refusing to stand.
With no established challenger, the contest becomes less about who wins than about turnout and the size of Farage's margin against the backdrop of the boycott and the standards case.
Clacton by-election polls and projections
The first poll of Clacton voters, by Survation for Mandate Research (reported 2 August 2026), put Nigel Farage on about 73% and Count Binface on about 20%; the full breakdown is in the Clacton constituency poll section above. Two further figures set the baseline: Nigel Farage won Clacton for Reform UK at the 2024 general election with 46.2% of the vote, and the PollCheck seat model gives a current general-election projection for the seat.
PollCheck projection for Clacton
Demographic seat model at the 7-poll average, with the change since the 2024 general election. This is a general election projection for Clacton, not a forecast of the by-election, which will have different turnout, candidates and tactical dynamics.
How popular is Nigel Farage in Clacton?
There is no recent poll of Farage's standing in Clacton itself. His personal favourability is tracked nationally, shown below - a Britain-wide figure, not a Clacton one. For local context, he won the seat in 2024 with 46.2% and the PollCheck seat model projects Reform near 60% in Clacton now.
Published constituency polls
2024 General Election
Winner
Reform UK
Majority
18.3%
8,405 votes
Turnout
58.7%
Electorate
78,245
Electoral history since 2010
Winning candidate's vote share at each election in Clacton, with the current PollCheck seat-model projection for a general election. Full results in the table below.
| Election | Winner | Party | Share | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 general election | Nigel Farage | Reform UK | 46.2% | 18.3% | 58.7% |
| 2019 general election | Giles Watling | Conservative | 72.3% | 56.8% | 61.3% |
| 2017 general election | Giles Watling | Conservative | 61.2% | 35.9% | 63.7% |
| 2015 general election | Douglas Carswell | UKIP | 44.4% | 7.8% | 64.1% |
| 2014 by-election | Douglas Carswell | UKIP | 59.7% | 35.1% | 51.0% |
| 2010 general election | Douglas Carswell | Conservative | 53.0% | 28.0% | 64.2% |
Scenario Explorer
Not a poll or projection. An interactive what-if tool - the numbers reflect whatever combination of inputs you choose.
Pick a baseline (the 2024 General Election result or the PollCheck seat model nowcast), then adjust the party share, turnout and tactical voting sliders to see how the 22-ward map changes. Open full page →
Deeper analysis
Background
Clacton covers Clacton-on-Sea, Jaywick, Frinton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze on the Essex coast. Nigel Farage won the seat for Reform UK at the July 2024 general election with 46.2% of the vote and a majority of 8,405 over the Conservatives' Giles Watling, who had held the seat since 2017. The constituency also returned the UK's first elected UKIP MP, Douglas Carswell, at an October 2014 by-election following his defection from the Conservatives. On 7 July 2026 Farage announced at a press conference that he would resign as MP for Clacton and stand in the resulting by-election. Announcing the decision, he said the people of Clacton "should be the judges of my actions" and that he would "fight to win" (BBC News, 7 July 2026). He formally left the seat on 8 July 2026 on being appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, the procedural office an MP takes to resign. The announcement followed reports that Farage could face a Commons standards process over an undeclared £5m gift from crypto investor Christopher Harborne, received around the time of the 2024 general election. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards opened a formal inquiry into the gift on 13 May 2026; the investigation is paused for the by-election and would resume if Farage regains the seat, with the Commissioner's report expected in September 2026 at the earliest. The House approved the moving of the writ on 9 July 2026 and polling day was confirmed as Thursday 13 August 2026. This page will be updated as key dates, candidates and polling are confirmed.
Frequently asked
When is the Clacton by-election?
The Clacton by-election is on Thursday 13 August 2026. Polls are open from 07:00 to 22:00. The House approved the moving of the writ on 9 July 2026.
Why is there a by-election in Clacton?
Nigel Farage resigned as MP for Clacton, formally leaving the seat on 8 July 2026 when he was appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead (the procedural office an MP takes to resign). This triggered the by-election, in which he is standing again.
Who are the candidates in the Clacton by-election?
The Statement of Persons Nominated was published on 17 July 2026, confirming a record 34 candidates - believed to be the most for a UK parliamentary election, passing the 26 who stood at the 2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election. They include Nigel Farage (Reform UK), Count Binface, Laurence Fox (Reclaim), the SDP's William Clouston, the British Democrats' Kai Stephens, the Forward Party's Adham Alkhatip, John Stevens for Rejoin EU and three Official Monster Raving Loony Party candidates, alongside a large field of independents. The Conservatives, Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and Restore Britain are all boycotting the contest rather than standing against Farage, calling it a distraction from a Commons standards case. The full list is in the Candidates section above.
What happened at the last election in Clacton?
At the 2024 general election Nigel Farage won Clacton for Reform UK with 46.2% of the vote and a majority of 8,405 votes (18.3 percentage points) over the Conservatives, on a turnout of 58.7%.
Are there any polls for the Clacton by-election?
Yes. The first poll of Clacton voters, by Survation for Mandate Research (reported 2 August 2026), put Nigel Farage on about 73% and the satirical candidate Count Binface second on about 20%, on a low expected turnout; in a head-to-head, Farage led Binface 69% to 31%. The full breakdown is in the Clacton constituency poll section above. Earlier surveys measured Britain-wide attitudes rather than how Clacton will vote.
Who will win the Clacton by-election?
On the current evidence Nigel Farage is the clear favourite to win in Clacton-on-Sea. The one poll of Clacton voters so far (Survation for Mandate Research) puts him on about 73% to Count Binface's 20%, and the PollCheck seat model also has Reform UK first in the seat. Any prediction comes with a caveat: turnout is expected to be very low and by-elections can behave differently from general elections, so this is a snapshot, not a forecast. The full breakdown is in the Clacton constituency poll section above.
Who is favourite to win the Clacton by-election?
The one poll of Clacton voters so far, by Survation for Mandate Research (reported 2 August 2026), puts Nigel Farage well ahead, on about 73% to Count Binface's 20%, and bookmakers make Reform UK strong favourites. A single poll on a low turnout is not a result, and by-elections can differ from general elections in turnout and tactical voting, so this is the state of play rather than a certainty.
When will the Clacton by-election result be declared?
Polls close at 22:00 on Thursday 13 August 2026 and the count begins straight away. Tendring District Council is the returning authority, and the result is expected in the early hours of Friday 14 August 2026. With a record 34 candidates on the ballot the count may run longer than usual. We will publish the declared result, majority and turnout on this page as soon as they are confirmed.
What does the PollCheck model project for Clacton?
At the current 7-poll average the PollCheck seat model projects, for a general election in Clacton: Reform UK 60.2%, Conservative 17.6%, Green 7.7%, Labour 7.7%, Liberal Democrats 3.6%, Others 3.1%. This is a general election projection, not a forecast of the by-election.
How popular is Nigel Farage in Clacton?
There is no recent poll of Farage's standing in Clacton specifically. His personal favourability is tracked nationally, a Britain-wide figure rather than a Clacton one, where it currently averages about -28 on the PollCheck approval tracker. Locally, he won Clacton with 46.2% in 2024 and the PollCheck model projects Reform near 60% in the seat now.
How to vote
Polls are open from 07:00 to 22:00 on Thursday 13 August 2026. To vote in person you must be registered and bring an accepted form of photo ID. The deadlines to register to vote (28 July) and to apply for a postal vote (29 July) have now passed; applications to vote by proxy close at 5pm on 5 August 2026, after which an emergency proxy can be arranged until 5pm on polling day in limited circumstances. Tendring District Council is the returning authority.
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