2026 Clacton by-election
UK parliamentary by-election
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A by-election is expected to be held for the United Kingdom parliamentary constituency of Clacton in 2026, following the announced resignation of Nigel Farage, the incumbent member of Parliament (MP). Farage, who is the leader of Reform UK, has represented Clacton since the 2024 general election. He announced on 7 July 2026 that he would resign in order to trigger a by-election and re-contest the constituency.[1]
The announcement came amid parliamentary scrutiny of Farage's personal finances and allegations concerning undeclared gifts and support. Farage denied wrongdoing and described the contest as a "people versus the establishment" by-election.[2]
Background
Constituency
Clacton is a coastal constituency in Essex, in the East of England. It is centred on Clacton-on-Sea and also includes towns and villages in the Tendring area, including Frinton-on-Sea, Walton-on-the-Naze and Jaywick.
The constituency is known for being a target seat for right-wing populist parties.[3] At the 2014 Clacton by-election, former Conservative MP Douglas Carswell resigned after defecting to the UK Independence Party (UKIP), then re-contested and won the seat for UKIP. The result made Carswell UKIP's first elected MP in the House of Commons.[4]
Resignation of Nigel Farage
On 7 July 2026, Farage announced that he would resign as MP for Clacton and stand again in the resulting by-election. His statement followed reports of parliamentary investigations into his financial interests, his relationships to Christopher Harborne and George Cottrell, his treatment by the press as reasons and alleged undeclared support. Farage said that he wanted voters in Clacton, rather than the press or parliamentary authorities, to decide whether he should continue as their MP.[1][2]
Candidates
Farage announced that he would stand again for Reform UK in the by-election.[1] The Conservative Party was reported to be targeting the seat before Farage's announcement.[5] Green Party deputy leader Mothin Ali said the Greens stand in "every election", and will make a strategic decision on how the party stands in this by-election.[6] Count Binface has said that he will be standing.[7] Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe said his party will not stand in this by-election, but would stand in any future by-election in the constituency.[6]
Previous result
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reform | Nigel Farage | 21,225 | 46.2 | N/A | |
| Conservative | Giles Watling | 12,820 | 27.9 | −44.0 | |
| Labour | Jovan Owusu-Nepaul | 7,448 | 16.2 | +0.6 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Matthew Bensilum | 2,016 | 4.4 | −1.8 | |
| Green | Natasha Osben | 1,935 | 4.2 | +1.3 | |
| Independent | Tony Mack[a] | 317 | 0.7 | N/A | |
| UKIP | Andrew Pemberton | 116 | 0.3 | N/A | |
| Climate | Craig Jamieson | 48 | 0.1 | N/A | |
| Heritage | Tasos Papanastasiou | 33 | 0.1 | N/A | |
| Majority | 8,405 | 18.3 | |||
| Turnout | 45,958 | 58.0 | |||
| Reform gain from Conservative | Swing | +45.1 | |||
See also
Notes
- Mack was originally announced as the Reform UK candidate, but was de-selected in favour of Nigel Farage, and subsequently ran as an independent.