British hard-right politician Nigel Farage has won the snap parliamentary election in Clacton, comfortably defeating satirical candidate Count Binface in a result that had been widely anticipated.
Farage secured 22,239 votes in the election, while Count Binface, whose real name is Jonathan David Harvey, finished second with 9,455 votes.
The result was announced shortly after 6am on Friday at Clacton Leisure Centre, where the vote count was held.
Farage had earlier declared victory before the counting process was completed, addressing supporters as the results continued to come in.
He did not attend the formal announcement of the result.
The election was triggered by Farage himself and was held in the constituency where he was already serving as the Member of Parliament.
The result was largely expected, particularly after none of the United Kingdom’s major political parties fielded candidates in the contest.
Farage and Count Binface emerged ahead of a long list of independent candidates, joke candidates and representatives of smaller political parties.
Despite the competitive field, many of the candidates received fewer than 100 votes.
The atmosphere at the count was notably light-hearted, with candidates seen cheering and applauding one another as the results were read out.
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The election recorded a voter turnout of about 44 per cent, significantly lower than the 59 per cent recorded in Clacton at the 2024 general election.
However, the lower turnout was not considered unusual for a parliamentary by-election, where participation is typically below that of a nationwide general election.
The count itself took longer than initially expected, with officials attributing the delay partly to the unusually long ballot papers containing a large number of candidates.
Farage’s victory strengthens his position within the constituency and gives him another electoral mandate as he continues to lead his political movement and campaign for a significant shift in British politics.
Count Binface’s second-place finish also represented a stronger performance than might have been expected from a satirical candidate, placing him ahead of several conventional candidates from smaller political parties and independent contenders.
The Clacton result is likely to attract further attention to Farage’s political influence, particularly as he continues to position himself and his party as a major force on Britain’s political right.
With the result formally declared, Farage now returns to Parliament representing Clacton, while the outcome is expected to fuel further debate over the direction of British politics and the growing appeal of anti-establishment candidates.