What Clacton voters actually think of Nigel Farage ahead of the by-election

Research group More In Common has published findings from two focus groups held in Clacton in July, six days before voters in the Essex seat choose their MP on Thursday (13 August).

Nigel Farage announced on 7 July that he would vacate the seat he won in 2024 and re-contest it, and his resignation took effect the following day.

The move came during a Commons standards investigation into a £5 million payment he did not declare. Farage denies any misconduct and said he wanted Clacton residents, rather than Westminster, to judge his conduct.

Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and Restore Britain are not standing, leaving a record field of 34 candidates in which novelty candidate Count Binface is the main challenger.

More In Common asked participants about the finance row, the decision to trigger the by-election and whether Count Binface appealed to them. It describes the two groups as initial insights.

Views on Farage are split

Responses ranged from strong support to outright rejection, with several participants torn. Supporters valued his local visibility and plain speaking. Critics raised his Commons attendance record and the time he spends in the United States.

“He comes here whenever he can. He shows his face. He never puts on any airs or graces,” said Brenda, a retired participant.

“To be honest, I’m not a fan. I found him to be somewhat absent. He’s here when he wants votes,” said Lewis, an IT engineer.

Sally, a university assistant, credited Farage with bringing holiday clubs for working parents to the town but said she would rather he concentrated on local problems.

Stephen, retired, said he liked what Farage stood for but doubted he would make a good prime minister. Dean, a mental health worker, questioned what Farage had delivered for Clacton in two years.

The finance row divides the same voters

For some participants the £5 million story showed Farage had clearly broken the rules. Others placed it alongside the conduct of politicians generally, and few treated him as an exception. Some described an establishment attempt to damage him, while others argued he belongs to that establishment.

“It’s not a law, it’s the rules and regulations at Westminster that state that anything substantial, even a gift if it’s not from family, needs to be put in,” said Ella, unemployed.

“I think a lot of it is jealousy. Why shouldn’t that man, if they gave me five million, I’d take it and run,” said Brenda.

“I think all politicians have a little bit of a scrape off, to be fair. I don’t think you can trust any of them,” said Sally.

“You can’t really say that Farage is not a member of the establishment, considering how often he’s at Ascot,” said Lewis.

Even supporters want the standards process to finish

Nearly all participants, including Farage’s strongest backers in the groups, said winning the by-election should not halt the standards process on his return.

A suspension of more than 10 sitting days or 14 calendar days would trigger a recall petition, and a successful petition would force a further by-election.

“Two by-elections probably within six months — that’s a waste of a lot of money that could be better spent elsewhere, because it still comes from us taxpayers to fund it,” said Ella.

Dan, a solution architect, said the withdrawal of the other parties meant the contest was no longer a real by-election.

Count Binface and immigration

Most participants knew of Count Binface and treated the candidacy as a joke, though a few said they would vote for him for exactly that reason.

Others said a novelty candidate made the contest, and the town, look silly. “It just makes us look silly, surely. It’s like a comedy show,” said Rachel, a teaching assistant.

More In Common’s immigration salience MRP puts 65% of Clacton residents naming immigration as a top issue facing the country, the second highest figure of any constituency.

Participants drew a line between people arriving legally and working in sectors such as care and the NHS, and those crossing in small boats. They raised pressure on school places, GP appointments and housing, and a sense that long-term taxpayers were not getting priority.

“I’ve struggled to get school spaces for my children,” said Sally.

The first constituency poll of the campaign, conducted by Survation for Mandate Research and reported on 2 August, put Farage on about 73% on a low turnout, with Count Binface second on about 20%. Farage won Clacton in 2024 with 46.2% of the vote.

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