It may be better for Farage to get back in so the enquiry can continue.
The irony for Nige is that the enquiry wouldn't really achieve anything. It might force his absence from the HoC for a few days, but his attendance record to date has probably surpassed that.
It might force a by-election, but he's already done that.
The Electoral Commission has more teeth, should it choose to investigate, but that isn't a criminal matter.
Any criminal investigation won't stop, regardless of his status as MP or not
Thing is if he was beaten by a novelty candidate that’s his credibility done toast. He’d look so stupid even his fans would be affected.
Joke candidates shouldn't be allowed to run.
I sometimes even have my doubts about Count Binface...
It might force a by-election, but he's already done that.
Difference being with forcing a byelection all the evidence would be available. Obviously wouldnt work on many of the true believers but it could have done him sufficient damage especially if restore stood against him and there was tactical voting from everyone else.
Which seems to be why he wants the election now so he can say the investigation results are meaningless since the public has already judged him and found him innocent (yes this has more holes in it than Emmental cheese).
Hence why the main parties have opted out of this one and are waiting for the recall election.
It might force a by-election, but he's already done that.
Difference being with forcing a byelection all the evidence would be available. Obviously wouldnt work on many of the true believers but it could have done him sufficient damage especially if restore stood against him and there was tactical voting from everyone else.
Which seems to be why he wants the election now so he can say the investigation results are meaningless since the public has already judged him and found him innocent (yes this has more holes in it than Emmental cheese).
Hence why the main parties have opted out of this one and are waiting for the recall election.
TBH it’s all about him getting his soundbites/videos for content for his fan base and social media rants.
TBH there was nothing to stop him asking the committee whether he should declare the 5 mil or not when they were questioning him about the other stuff he forgot to disclose.
There’s absolutely no way he would want to disclose as the non-cultists he needs to get to vote for him are going to be a little weary of that man down the pub against the establishment spiel because 5mills a lot of money in most peoples 👀 as a freebie gift.
People were prepared to turn a blind eye to the wages from tv and the gold but 5m it gets attention.
He's been an MEP for 21 years so it’s not like he’s unused to this type of rule.
It's all absolutely intended for maximum meeja visibility and to feed his "persecution by the woke establishment" narrative, Nige knows there's no such thing as bad publicity, and clearly expects to win his byelection (and presumably still have to go before the standards committee)...
I actually think the collective decision not to participate in the byelection by the other major parties is the right one: Make it the non-event it should be keep drawing attention to Nige trying to distract from his corruption by creating this circus (at public expense), wait for him to win a pretend election and still be subject to the same scrutiny... Of course the obvious question is are 'Restore' playing along?
At the same time I would dearly Love for the count become MP for Clacton.
Question for those in or near the people's republic of Clacton; The news keeps putting up Vox pops from the town which paint a picture of a town stuffed full of Elderly Racists who apparently wouldn't care if he'd been feasting on the flesh of New-borns every night, so long as he dun the Brexits and keeps on torpedoing those dirty asylumists in the channel. But is that a realistic picture of the place? or are these just the people the journalists encounter when they hop off the train mid-day?
Is Clacton really the political hellscape News at 10 want us to believe it is?
Question for those in or near the people's republic of Clacton; The news keeps putting up Vox pops from the town which paint a picture of a town stuffed full of Elderly Racists who apparently wouldn't care if he'd been feasting on the flesh of New-borns every night, so long as he dun the Brexits and keeps on torpedoing those dirty asylumists in the channel. But is that a realistic picture of the place? or are these just the people the journalists encounter when they hop off the train mid-day?
A large amount of people moved out of East London into Essex, Kent etc because amongst other things, they didn't like the demographic changes that were occurring (e.g. Newham, East Ham etc went from mostly white british in the 80s to less than 10% white british in some parts).
So yes there are a lot of older people there who hold major grievances about immigration.
electoral calcululs have an MRP poll out that should worry farage, especially when tactical voting is factored in
- thats certainly been a feature in the last few by-elections
https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/blogs/ec_vipoll_20260708.html
The news keeps putting up Vox pops from the town which paint a picture of a town stuffed full of Elderly Racists who apparently wouldn't care if he'd been feasting on the flesh of New-borns every night, so long as he dun the Brexits and keeps on torpedoing those dirty asylumists in the channel.
It's not just Clacton. The country is absolutely stuffed full of similar places. It's just that the Farages of this world have legitimised and enabled their racism and told them its fine to vocalise it again. They're taking us back to the 1970's.
What I find most depressing is that it isn't just the elderly. We were at a do last Saturday and I was talking to 2 educated, middle class 19-20 year olds and we got onto politics. Utterly depressingly, they were regurgitating the Farage nonsense word-for-word and even veering into Tommy Robinson territory. They were voicing the kind of racism you'd associate with a 1970's National Front rally, blaming all the countries ills on immigrants. This kind of thing has been absolutely normalised over the last decade to a scary degree.
Is Clacton really the political hellscape News at 10 want us to believe it is?
A lot of former Victorian seaside resort towns (and also former industrial / mining / seafaring towns) are really deprived, low in job and education opportunities. They're all prime territory for far-right grifters to explain to the population that the reason their lives are so shit is because of immigrants and The Woke Establishment and they just need Someone Who Tells It Like It Is to solve all their problems.
It might force a by-election, but he's already done that.
Interestingly (or not; YMMV) The Chancellor has to approve resignations, and the last time it wasn't approved was 1840-something when Henry Cadogan - Viscount Chelsea was refused permission, as it was to obstruct an investigation into bribary.
A lot of former Victorian seaside resort towns (and also former industrial / mining / seafaring towns) are really deprived, low in job and education opportunities
Yup. Clacton has the multiplier for the reasons Multi21 says as well.
Its where Jaywick came from. Intended as a weekend/summer hols "retreat" for not so wealthy Londoners which then transformed into permanent housing.
That said the constituency is a lot more than just those two eg Frinton is fairly posh. Although all are biased towards retired and white.
On a side note I see Lawrence Fox as always fails to read the room and is standing.
I liked Count Binface noting that each by-election costs the taxpayer ~£380,000, therefore if he's voted in over Farage it saves the country that money by not needing another by-election when it's potentially forced by the standard committee when they rule on Farage.
Also - go Rachel Reeves - brilliant! And pls DIAF Lawrence Fox.
According to online bookies; Binface is favourite ATM. You would've thought that Boaty McBoatface would be a lesson to us all here, no?
Honestly though it just gets better, if it just attracts cranks and jokers, the optics of Farage standing o a podium with them all is going to be priceless.
I actually want him to win.
By about 3 votes, thus forcing multiple rounds of recounts. He can stand on a podium flanked by Fox and Binface and claim that he's got majority support, the people of Clacton have spoken.
The reality being that he'll be back as an MP by the world's smallest majority, the investigation into his corruption will fire up again and he's back in the same sorry situation but knowing that he nearly lost out to a guy dressed as a bin.
I've just stuck a tenner on Binface at 5/1. Don't let me down, voters of Clacton
I reckon you wont eat after the election result as the people of Clacton seem a rare bunch. Reminds me of those travelling fairground workers but with less teeth.
Perhaps someone should stand a lettuce as a candidate
It really needs to just be Binface vs Farage. Farage would get his 46%, Binface can get 54% as if you are not voting for Farage you are voting against him. If I lived in Claction I would certainly be voting Binface.
It really needs to just be Binface vs Farage
Binface vs Frogface
Farage would get his 46%, Binface can get 54%
The ideal voting split would be 52/48... 😉
The problem is that Farage actively wants to lose.
He's giving a good impression of fighting his corner, man of the people, Clacton will speak for me bollocks but by "losing", he also gets rid of all that annoying scrutiny and oversight that MP's have, all the expenses claims. Losing his salary won't matter to him in the slightest, he's got his dodgy millions. He never did the job of MP anyway so losing that is nothing. But "losing" cements his claim as a victim and he can go back to what he's genuinely good at which is sniping from the sidelines and general grifting.
And he gets to claim he was forced out by The Elite, it's all a woke conspiracy.
He needs to be voted back in. Words I never thought I'd say. Being forced back as an MP, the ignominy of being back in the House heckled from all sides and still being investigated for corruption would really do him in.
Nah if he loses to binface he has no argument and will look like exactly what he is, a massive grifting loser.
His ego wouldn't recover
Forced out by the elite ??? Forced out by the elites that aren’t standing against him?? How does that work??
And he gets to claim he was forced out by The Elite
Reform have said they'll cover the cost of the election. What sort of political party has the the money to do that? They're quite literally buying a seat because he's irritated by any sort of scrutiny.
And he gets to claim he was forced out by The Elite
Reform have said they'll cover the cost of the election. What sort of political party has the the money to do that? They're quite literally buying a seat because he's irritated by any sort of scrutiny.
All I heard was a political party offering to buy an election...?
Reform have said they'll cover the cost of the election. What sort of political party has the the money to do that?
One bankrolled by fossil fuel industries and crypto billionaires.
There has to be a televised debate, it would be epic.
We always knew he was more "I could do this better if i was in power" until they are and discover its not only hard work, but under constant scrutiny.
So i think he want to return to that, on the American far right echo chamber scene.
Im not sure if for the Americans, having some Brit is like legitimization. I've always got that impression from America, when they engage in their resource wars, they like having the British alongside them. Adds some sort of legality to it all.
Maybe its a bit of both.
honest bob under police investigation
honest bob under police investigation
All part of the Establishment plot to stop Reform fighting for ordinary working people! Have they investigated Liebour, or Lib Dems or the Greens? Eh?
I'm paraphrasing
even the mail is saying its a joke
He will be hating that it's not being taken seriously, hating it. And that makes me very happy this morning.
This is quite funny
Reform are having to divert activists from Manchester Mayoral election- a vote they once thought they could win
to shore up farages clacton circus
posh Georges mum donation of £5m to reform being investigated by police
