Cast your vote on the biggest talking points of the day, every day See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy DAILY MAIL REPORTER Published: 12:02 BST, 14 August 2026 | Updated: 12:06 BST, 14 August 2026
Nigel Farage quit as an MP to fight a 'people versus the establishment' by-election in protest at parliamentary and media scrutiny of financial donations and support from his backers.Rival parties dismissed it as a stunt, leaving comedy candidate Count Binface as Mr Farage's closest rival. But Mr Farage comfortably won, with 22,239 votes – around 1,000 more than he got in 2024 – and Count Binface receiving 9,455.Now, a parliamentary investigation into a £5million gift received by Mr Farage from a crypto-billionaire has resumed after his victory.The probe into the alleged failure to register an interest was suspended after the Reform UK leader triggered the contest by resigning amid scrutiny over his and the party's finances.But it is now automatically running again after Mr Farage was returned as MP for Clacton.Labour, the Tories and the Liberal Democrats said his victory would not draw a line under the controversy over the money he received from Thai-based Reform donor Christopher Harborne before he was first elected to the Essex seat in 2024.But do you think Mr Farage was right to call a by-election? Vote in the Daily Mail's latest poll:
