Polls open in Clacton, where Farage spent more than £10,000 in byelection against Count Binface – UK politics live
Summary
Polling has opened in the Clacton byelection in the UK, where Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, is running against several fringe candidates including Count Binface, a joke candidate who dresses as a dustbin. Farage’s campaign has spent over £10,000 on social media ads to promote his message as a local champion and outsider fighting against the political establishment.Key Facts
- The Clacton byelection is taking place while parliament is in recess and August is a low-news period.
- Nigel Farage is the Reform UK candidate and has played a major role in UK politics over the last 25 years, especially regarding Brexit.
- Farage faces financial allegations over not properly declaring donations, including £5 million from a cryptocurrency billionaire.
- Count Binface is a joke candidate who literally dresses as a dustbin, providing an unusual element to the election.
- Reform UK has spent more than £10,000 on ads across Meta’s platforms like Facebook and Instagram during the campaign.
- Spending included about £1,000 on videos encouraging supporters to get “I’m with Nigel” garden signs and around £500 on ads urging postal vote returns.
- The largest ad spend (£4,000–£4,500) was for a five-minute video where Farage appeals directly to local voters and attacks the political elite and mainstream media.
- Farage is the only candidate in the byelection using paid features on Meta platforms to boost his online presence.
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