Count BinFace (C) is joined on stage by other candidates in Clacton in the early hours of Friday as he celebrates his second place finish in Thursday's byelection. Reform U.K. leader Nigel Farage, who won, did not attend after his party claimed there had been a "credible" threat made against him. Photo by Andy Rain/EPA
Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Reform U.K. leader Nigel Farage was re-elected to parliament on Friday, five weeks after he resigned his seat specifically in order to ask voters to back him amid a probe by parliamentary standards authorities into a $6.8 million gift he received before the 2024 general election.
With a turnout of 44.4%, Farage won the Clacton byelection with a 12,784 vote majority -- winning about 1,000 votes more than when he won the seat the first time around in the July 2024 general election -- but Thursday's vote was boycotted by all main political parties who dismissed it as a political stunt by Farage to distract from the investigation.
As a result, the election was contested by an array of more than 35 parties including Reform rival Reclaim, independents and several novelty candidates including Count Binface, who came second with 9,455 votes, and three from the Monster Raving Loony Party that included Nick the Incredible Flying Brick, Howling Laud Hope and Baron von Thunderclap.
