Nigel Farage Wins Reelection to UK Parliament as Ethics Probe Resumes

CLACTON-ON-SEA, England —

Nigel Farage won a special election in Clacton, England, on Friday, reclaiming the parliamentary seat he gave up a month earlier to fight allegations that he hid millions of dollars in political gifts, according to Al Jazeera and France 24.

Farage, who leads the right-wing Reform UK party, took 22,239 votes, or about 63 percent, according to the Guardian and Al Jazeera. His chief rival, a satirical candidate called Count Binface who campaigns in a costume made to look like a trash can, won 9,455 votes, or roughly 27 percent, the best result of his career across six election runs, Al Jazeera reported. Turnout was 44 percent, lower than the 59 percent recorded in the 2024 general election but not unusual for a special election, France 24 reported.

Watchdog Reopens Inquiry Into Crypto Gift

Hours after the results were announced, the website of Parliament's independent standards commissioner confirmed that an investigation into Farage had resumed, according to the Guardian. The inquiry examines whether Farage failed to declare a £5 million ($6.7 million) gift from a Thailand-based cryptocurrency investor before the 2024 general election. The process had been paused since Farage resigned his seat on July 7, CNBC reported.

Under parliamentary rules, members of Parliament must declare any donations received in the year before an election within one month of taking office, France 24 reported. Farage has acknowledged receiving the money but says he broke no rules because it was a personal gift meant to help cover his security costs, according to CNBC and Al Jazeera. If investigators find he violated disclosure rules, he could be suspended from Parliament and forced into another special election, France 24 reported.

A Contest Farage Boycotted Himself

Farage skipped the vote count at Clacton Leisure Center, saying police had warned him of a plot to disrupt the results, according to the South China Morning Post and France 24. He also canceled a planned victory speech. "I am damned if I am going to stand on a stage, having won a resounding victory ... and be demeaned and humiliated by nobodies," he told supporters, according to the South China Morning Post.

Britain's major parties, Labor and the Conservatives, declined to field candidates, calling the race a self-serving stunt, CNBC and France 24 reported. That left Farage facing mostly fringe and joke candidates. Luke Tryl of the research group More in Common said in a statement that Farage's vote total topped his 2024 result but that his 63 percent share was "at the lower end of expectations," a sign that opposition to Reform UK remains strong in competitive districts.

Labor, now led by Prime Minister Andy Burnham after he replaced Keir Starmer last month, has edged ahead of Reform UK in national polling, 28 percent to 25 percent, France 24 reported. Jordan Bardella, president of France's far-right National Rally, congratulated Farage on social media, calling his win "triumphant."