The Clacton by-election has happened

In my view it was a pantomime. But it was a pantomime with consequences.

How the Pantomime Ended

Nigel Farage won. And he won with an increased majority. Turnout was only 44%, but that’s not surprising for a by-election when no one else from the main parties contested. There were 33 candidates on the ballot. This time, really only 2 mattered. Nigel Farage, and Count Binface – the rest lost their deposits. Binface pulled in a significant protest vote. People used him to register that they didn’t like the sleaze and wanted to register that. The other 31 had things to say, sure, and some of them important. But under our electoral system, if you’ve never been heard of and you’re not going to win, hardly anyone votes for you – and why should they given your zero chances of winning. That’s not their fault. That’s FPTP for you. Everything else was just noise and seeing the pantomime play out. Interestingly, Farage didn’t turn up for the count or make a victory speech – citing security concerns and not wanting to mix with people he could not take seriously as reasons.

The Facts: Farage Quits, £5m Gift, Cottrell Links

Nigel Farage resigned his seat in July, triggering the by-election in Clacton. He said he wanted “the people of Clacton” to decide his fate in what he saw as a “people versus establishment” vote. The timing wasn’t random. He was under investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over an undeclared £5m gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. Farage first said it was for security, then called it a “reward” for 27 years of campaigning for Brexit.  There were also questions about support from George Cottrell, a convicted fraudster, including social media help, security staff, and travel. The Met even started looking at £500k of donations to Reform UK from Cottrell’s mother.  Farage’s line: “I have done nothing wrong. I have not misused public money.” The investigation was paused during the by-election, but it could resume. Certain commentators looking on call it political posturing or maybe that Farage is beginning to lose the plot.

The Politics: No One Stood, and the Sleaze Row

Here’s where it gets odd. Labour, Conservatives, Lib Dems, Greens, and even Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain all confirmed they would not field candidates.  Labour called it “no victory for Farage” and said it “shows he likely has so much to hide.” Reform called it a smear and a hit job.  And of course, the comeback was immediate: “What about Labour’s donors? What about their sleaze?” UK Column made the wider point that this is about politics and money full stop and point to financial corruption accusations among high profile Labourites. Irony of ironies: politicians need and love money, but the money always comes with strings. And while we are talking about sleaze, the string of events that brought on the by-election that got Andy Burnham elected are no less sleazier.

The Bigger Lesson: Left Unite, Right Split

This is the bit that matters. The left – Greens, Labour, Lib Dems – are very good at doing deals behind closed doors. They know how to unite to keep the other side out and give their own the best chance.  The right – Conservative, Reform, Restore, and the rest – typically don’t. They fight each other, split the vote, and let the left walk in.  Rupert Lowe has now put out an olive branch. He’s saying the quiet part out loud: if we don’t stop splitting, we hand it to them. That seems like wisdom, whether you like Lowe and/or Farage or not.

Where Are We Now?

Polls have Labour back on top. Starmer 2.0, but with charisma this time – “Burnham” who returned to the Commons on his white horse following his win in the previous by-election held, is the name people mention. Conservatives are second, and Reform third. The cynical part of me wonders if the baddies running the show who actually run things actually want this to boil over. A bit of civil unrest, crack down on the “far right”, clamp down on free speech (Hegelian Dialectic as Mr. Icke might say). That would secure their position and keep the opposition out. I know, that sounds like conspiracy. But it’s in the back of my mind. And if not this, why not call a snap general election before things go pear shape again.

End thought

Clacton wasn’t just about Farage. It was about money, sleaze on all sides, and whether the right can ever learn to unite. If not, don’t be surprised when the left keep winning. Does it tell us the political mood of the country – I think not, but it’s been interesting watching and even more, will we ever get meaningful change.