Live Roundups Editor's Desk Insights Executive Ops Weather About 🔍
Home › Politics › Clacton polls open with Farage up against slew of fringe...
Politics

Clacton polls open with Farage up against slew of fringe candidates

The Guardian Politics Thursday 13 August 2026, 06:00 UTC By Alexandra Topping Political correspondent 1 min read
Key Points

Longest ballot in UK voting history features likes of Count Binface and Howling Laud Hope alongside Reform leader Polls have opened in Clacton, with thousands of residents in the Essex seat to vote in a ballot featuring Nigel Farage and a range of novelty and fringe candidates led by Count Binface. The Reform UK leader resigned as the MP for Clacton at the start of July and forced a byelection in an attempt to address complaints over a deepening scandal about gifts he received.

Longest ballot in UK voting history features likes of Count Binface and Howling Laud Hope alongside Reform leader

Polls have opened in Clacton, with thousands of residents in the Essex seat to vote in a ballot featuring Nigel Farage and a range of novelty and fringe candidates led by Count Binface.

The Reform UK leader resigned as the MP for Clacton at the start of July and forced a byelection in an attempt to address complaints over a deepening scandal about gifts he received.

Continue reading...
Clacton (ORG) Farage (PERSON) UK (LOCATION) Binface (PERSON) Essex (LOCATION) Nigel Farage (PERSON)
Originally published by The Guardian Politics Read original →

Related Stories

Taylor's tetchy press conference, Bragg's big day out

analysis Taylor's staffer takes aim at Ten reporter over ICAC question Welcome back to your weekly federal politics update, where Courtney Gould gets you up to speed on the happenings from Parliament House. Anthony Albanese and Angus Taylor are both leaders under pressure trying to control the narrative in different ways. While the prime minister was cutting off a press conference to avoid answering questions over what's become a melee over melons, back in Canberra the opposition leader's...

ABC Australia 18m ago

Britain's scorched fields mean a food crisis – and the government is ignoring the one measure that would help | George Monbiot

This summer’s extreme weather and wars in Iran and Ukraine have made our need for food stockpiles more pressing than everWhen a business makes long-term plans, they call it prudence. When a government makes long-term plans, they call it communism. Any sustained state intervention attracts the prefix “Soviet-style”, and triggers vicious attacks across the billionaire media.

The Guardian UK 18m ago

Britain's scorched fields mean a food crisis – and the government is ignoring the one measure that would help | George Monbiot

This summer’s extreme weather and wars in Iran and Ukraine have made our need for food stockpiles more pressing than everWhen a business makes long-term plans, they call it prudence. When a government makes long-term plans, they call it communism. Any sustained state intervention attracts the prefix “Soviet-style”, and triggers vicious attacks across the billionaire media.

The Guardian Business 18m ago

Germany's dry rivers spark battle over engineering vs. restoration

As a heat wave dries Germany's rivers, government ministers are at odds over what to do about it—re-engineer the waterways or restore them to their natural state.

Phys.org 23m ago