Latika M Bourke: He may have beaten Count Binface, but the joke’s still on Reform UK leader Nigel Farage

Nigel Farage said his win against a comedian wearing a bin over his head in the Clacton by-election was a victory over the establishment.

But Count Binface recorded the best-ever result by a novelty candidate in the UK and suggested it was actually a humiliation for the Reform UK leader.

Mr Farage unexpectedly resigned from parliament in July to recontest his seat, ahead of a Parliamentary inquiry into his undeclared £5 million ($9.5m) donation from an offshore billionaire crypto investor.

He pitched himself as a battler against the system and urged voters in the seaside town of Clacton to “stick two fingers up to the establishment.” But the major parties collectively boycotted the by-election, leaving Mr Farage to run against the joke candidate known as Count Binface.

In the end, a record number of candidates ended up standing 34, but none bar Count Binface posed any serious threat.

Mr Farage easily won his seat back and, without any serious opposition from the political parties, gained on his 2024 result of 21,225 votes, returning 22,239 ballots — a vote share of 62 per cent.

Turnout on Britain’s hottest day of the year, when temperatures peaked at 38 degrees celsius, was relatively high for a by-election at 44 per cent, but it was lower than in the general election.

The UK does not have compulsory voting and has a first-past-the-post system. The enormous number of candidates, some of whom registered fewer than ten votes, meant the count took several hours longer than normal.

Votes for Count Binface totalled 9455, with more than a quarter, or 26 per cent, backing mockery.

As the returning officer Ian Davidson announced Mr Farage’s votes, barely a noise sounded in the room. It is customary in UK politics for all candidates to attend the count and stand on stage as the results are announced.

But Mr Farage broke with tradition to boycott his own win to avoid pictures of him standing next to a man with a bin on his head.

“By the way, I’m not scared of these people, far from it,” he told Reform UK supporters before the count was announced.

“But I’m damned if I’m going to stand on stage having won a resounding victory, a ringing endorsement of all that I’ve tried to fight for, all that you’ve tried to fight for and be demeaned and humiliated by the nobodies.

He claimed the win before the result was declared and later said it was a verdict on his record in public office: “The result speaks for itself,” he posted on social media. Reform UK then cancelled a speech Mr Farage had been due to deliver later in Clacton.

Luke Tryl, pollster with More in Common, said Mr Farage would be satisfied with the outcome, but said it showed a strong anti-Reform sentiment.

“Binface vote share at higher end of expectations, showing as elsewhere opposition is also motivated to turnout against Reform,” he said.

Comedian Jonathan Harvey, the man inside the rubbish bin costume, hailed the result as the “greatest swing in British history” for a “lone-wolf space warrior”.

Mr Harvey has run against each British prime minister since 2017, as well as in high-profile by-elections. His most recent joke run was in June’s Makerfield by-election, in which Andy Burnham was elected in order to seize the prime ministership from Keir Starmer.

“Just eight weeks ago in Makerfield I got 95. That means, I’ve got against Nigel Farage, 10,000 per cent more votes than I got against Andy Burnham.

“What does that tell you? Well, it tells you that Nigel, who said he didn’t want to be humiliated, maybe has been. As for me, I’m over the moon. I’m over your moon, I’m over my moons.”

In Clacton he campaigned on a mostly joke manifesto that included nationalising the British singer Adele, because “the Exchequer needs a hit”.

But he also proposed capping bus fares and, in a barb at Mr Farage, banning MPs who resign mid-term from re-contesting their seats.

“Who would think that I would become His Majesty’s official opposition?” he said.

“Nigel Farage is claiming victory; we’re going to be back here in a couple of weeks.”

Mr Farage’s triumph is indeed ephemeral. He is likely to be forced by the Parliamentary inquiry into another by-election which would be contested by all the parties.

This could pitch Reform UK against Labour’s new leadership for the first time. Under Mr Burnham, Labour has reclaimed its lead in the national polls.

But Mr Farage could also face a fight on his right against Restore, the breakaway party endorsed by Elon Musk.

Restore is headed by Rupert Lowe, who fell out with Mr Farage and formed his rival movement. Both Mr Lowe and Mr Farage met with One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson during her trip to the UK last month.

Clacton has long been Reform UK’s heartland. In 2014, voters elected their first MP for Mr Farage’s then party UKIP. In the 2016 Brexit referendum, nearly 70 per cent voted Leave.

Bridget Philippson, Chair of the governing Labour Party, said Mr Farage had not cleared his name.

“Let’s be clear: this is no victory for Nigel Farage. He must come clean with the public and put all the facts on the table over his secret £5 million gift, his relationship with a convicted fraudster, and the other scandals his party is drowning in.

“Farage’s distraction by-election doesn’t clear his name — it just shows he likely has so much more to hide.”