Nigel Farage won the Clacton by-election, but refused to attend the official result declaration amid disputed claims he was acting on police advice.
The Reform UK leader was re-elected as MP with 22,239 votes, securing a 12,784 majority in the by-election he called, with all the other main parties boycotting the vote.
His nearest challenger, Count Binface, who was among a record 34 candidates standing, polled his best ever result, securing 9,455 votes.
What caused man to be partially sucked out of Ryanair plane – revealed
The world was horrified when Ljubisa Karovic, 61, had to be pulled back into the plane by fellow passengers after his window shattered mid-flight last month.
What happened?
- The Serbian entrepreneur was sat in the window seat of a Ryanair flight from Greece to Germany last month.
- He told he had been sleeping in his seat when he was woken up by the sound of an “explosion”.
- His lawyer said his head and right arm were pulled out of the aircraft.
- He injured his head and neck, but was saved by fellow passengers who pulled him back into the plane.
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What caused the incident?
A preliminary report into the incident by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has found a fan blade in the plane’s right engine broke off mid-flight.
This sent fragments flying at the window, which shattered.
The cabin lost pressure, pulling Ljubisa out of his window as oxygen masks dropped down.
Further findings still to come
Investigators have not yet determined what caused the fan blade to break off, though bird remains were found in the engine of the Boeing 737-800.
The US agency NTSB reprimanded Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary for talking to investors about the investigation, which it said he was not allowed to discuss.
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How probe into Farage’s £5m gift can now reopen
The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, has reopened the probe into a gift given to Nigel Farage.
The timeline of events
The investigation surrounds a £5m gift Farage received from crypto-billionaire, Christopher Harborne.
- Farage received the £5m donation from Harborne shortly before he announced he would run for election in .
- In , revealed the donation.
- On 13 May, the Parliamentary Standards Committee opened an investigation into Farage over an allegation of “failure to register an interest” within the 12 months before his election.
- Farage resigned as an MP on 7 July, which paused the investigation.
- The Clacton by-election on returned a resounding win for the Reform UK leader which reopened the probe.
When could the probe end?
While the standards investigation had been formally paused, The i Paper reported last week that the commissioner has been working over the summer recess.
It means a conclusion on Farage’s financial affairs could come more swiftly than previously anticipated when Parliament reconvenes in September.
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A storm of allegations
Reform has faced intense scrutiny of its finances. It was revealed that the Met Police have been investigating donations to the party from aristocrat Fiona Cottrell and deputy leader Richard Tice.
Last month, reported Farage was being funded by convicted fraudster and crypto-gambler George Cottrell.
What has Reform said?
- Farage and his party have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in their financial conduct.
- A spokesperson for Reform said the £5m was a “personal unconditional gift” which did not need to be declared.
- On the support from Cottrell, Reform explained this was not registered, as it was in a “purely personal capacity”.
- In response to the Met investigation into donations made to the party, a spokesman said: “Reform takes pride in its stringent vetting of donations and always ensures that the Electoral Commission guidelines on donations… are strictly followed.”
Farage claims police advised him not to attend by-election count
The Reform leader claimed he did not attend the count on the advise of Essex Police after a “credible threat” against him.
But The i Paper understands that the force did not advise any candidate not to attend the count.
A spokesperson for Essex Police said: “We have a full and robust policing operation in place. The decision of candidates to attend or not attend the election count is a decision for individuals and their security teams.”
All you need to know as 18 injured after train derails in East Sussex
Two people suffered serious injuries after a Southern Rail train came off the tracks as it approached Lewes in Sussex.
A full investigation has been launched into the incident, with some suggestions that it could have been linked to Thursday’s soaring heat.
Everything we know so far
- The service from London Victoria to Eastbourne derailed between Haywards Heath and Lewes just before 4pm on Thursday.
- Eighteen passengers were hurt, with two seriously injured in hospital.
- Three carriages tipped on their side, trapping passengers on board.
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‘I thought I was going to die’
Passenger Rachel Heath told the BBC the derailment was “absolutely terrifying”, adding she thought she “was going to die”.
She said: “The train just started jostling, kind of bumping up and down, and then jostling from side to side like a seesaw, and everyone was screaming.
“I just remember looking around and seeing so much panic and fear in so many people’s eyes.”
What caused the incident?
Experts have suggested the derailment was caused by a “buckled track” due to the scorching temperatures.
Referring to images taken by passengers at the scene, Richard Wilcock, industry editor of , told the : “It’s clearly a buckled track and clearly heat, as we know, stresses the track”.
No official explanations have been issued, and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch is already examining the scene.
When will the heatwave end?
Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures peaking at 38.1°C at Kew Gardens in London as the record-breaking summer continues.
This has been the UK’s hottest summer on record, and yesterday ranked as the UK’s fifth hottest day since records began in 1914.
The relentless heat has been coupled with a prolonged dry spell, leading to drought in many areas of the country, particularly severe in the south.
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Record-breaking heat
- The 37 days from 30 June to 5 August counted as the UK’s second-longest heatwave.
- This year, the UK has had at least one heatwave every month since May.
- The whole of Wales and more than 70 per cent of England is now in drought.
- Some parts of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and West Sussex have not had rain for 63 days.
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Drought in pictures
When will it end?
Met Office chief forecaster Neil Armstrong said temperatures will see “a gradual return to average over the next few days”.
Conditions will feel less humid by Saturday, though it will still feel warm.
As for some desperately needed rain, the Met Office said some parts may see thunderstorms later today and into Saturday.
But the next meaningful rain for the driest areas in the south “could be towards the end of next week”.
The Government has issued a temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues. Andy Burnham told the : “Britain is a tinderbox.”
New advice said single-use grills “have been the cause of a number of serious wildfires across the country over the summer months”.
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What you need to know as Farage wins Clacton by-election
The Reform UK leader claimed an “overwhelming” victory – but refused to attend the count for safety reasons.
A party spokesperson said there had been a “credible threat” made against him.
Everything you need to know
How did Farage do?
Farage won 22,239 votes in the by-election, securing a majority of 63 per cent.
What about Binface?
The satirical candidate Count Binface received 9,455 votes (27 per cent).
Who was he facing?
There were a record-breaking 34 candidates on the ballot on Thursday, though none from the main parties.
What has the reaction been?
In a brief statement posted on X, the Reform leader said: “The result in Clacton speaks for itself.”
By contrast, the Liberal Democrats said Farage had come away from the election “looking daft”, as most people “who fight against a bin” would.
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Finance probe re-opens
- Part of Farage’s reasoning behind his abrupt resignation last month was the probe into his financial affairs.
- He was being investigated by the parliamentary standards committee over the alleged “failure to register an interest”.
- It concerns a £5m “gift” from a crypto-billionaire in 2024, which Farage did not declare.
- As he has been re-elected, the probe has reopened.
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This is a hollow victory for Farage. His biggest test is about to begin
Farage has defeated a bin but questions still remain over his and Reform’s finances.
How university tuition fees may hit £11,000 a year by 2030
Record numbers of students are set to go to university this year – but they face debts as high as £100,000 when they graduate.
What you need to know
- Students starting four-year courses this autumn are to see their fees rise by more than £800 in their final year.
- Tuition fees will reach £9,790 this autumn and £10,050 next year.
- Keir Starmer’s government said fees would increase with inflation.
- With these costs, added to the maximum maintenance loan for a student living without their parents in London, the total adds up to nearly £100,000.
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Mounting concerns around cost
Lewis Wilson, vice president at the National Union of Students, said the costs of attending university were “astronomical” and students were left with “mortgage-sized” debts.
“It’s a graduate tax for life, but it’s completely unfair,” he said.
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Could the Government backtrack?
Last month, Education Secretary Lucy Powell said the issue of student loans was “very much at the top of my in-tray” and described interest charges on Plan 2 loans as “egregious”.
Iain Mansfield, head of education at the Policy Exchange think-tank, said: “Given the increasing concern about the quality of universities, there is a real question about whether or not they’ll choose to go ahead with it. It feels like a fifty-fifty decision.”
Wildfires tear through West Midlands – the latest
This morning, residents in Stourbridge woke up to the burnt-out shells of neighbouring houses after a night of terrifying wildfires swept through the West Midlands yesterday.
What happened?
- A huge blaze near Stourbridge Golf Course set six homes on fire yesterday, with 100 firefighters battling the flames.
- The ambulance service said two people were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.
- West Midlands chief fire officer Simon Tuhill said “the devastation is extensive”.
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Yesterday, fire crews also fought off a fire in Stoke-on-Trent where four homes were destroyed.
There were further fires in Warwickshire, Druids Heath and Kings Norton in Birmingham, Salford Priors and Pershore in Worcestershire. A woman was also seriously injured in another blaze in Castle Vale, Birmingham.
What has the reaction been?
There are now 11 major incidents declared across the UK, many in the West Midlands.
Phil Garrigan, chairman of the National Fire Chiefs Council, told the BBC: “It’s been a particularly difficult, busy period for the fire and rescue service, where we’ve been under significant pressure.”
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “Awful to see homes and communities hit by fires across the country tonight as the heatwave continues. My thoughts are with everyone affected.”
But Farage and Reform claimed that Essex Police advised him to stay away from the count. Here is what we know so far:
What happened at the count?
Before the result was confirmed, Farage told supporters he had won “fairly convincingly” and that the result was an “overwhelming endorsement” of him.
But he said he wasn’t attending the official declaration at Clacton Leisure Centre as Essex Police had warned him about an “organised campaign to disrupt and degrade the result”.
It was the first time a winning MP didn’t attend their own declaration since IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands in 1981, who was in prison at the time.
Instead, Farage joined supporters at an all-night “Farage-fest” event in the Essex countryside – complete with a ferris wheel and live band – saying: “I’m not scared of these people, far from it.
“But I’m damned if I’m going to stand on a stage, having won a resounding victory, a ringing endorsement of all that I’ve tried to fight for, and you’ve tried to fight for, and be demeaned and humiliated by nobodies, and I will not sadly be attending the count.”
He added that Clacton’s voters had “stuck up two fingers to the entire political establishment”.
Count Binface said he was “the winning candidate of the candidates who bothered to turn up for the results” and that the result had “humiliated” Farage.
One candidate who polled 11 votes, Marc Wilkinson, who owns a pizza shop in Edinburgh, and has now stood in seven elections since the 2024 general election, bemoaned the amount of attention given to Count Binface.
Farage was due to make what he described as a “major speech” in Clacton at 10.30am on Friday, but Reform cancelled it, saying he had “already commented on the expected result of the by-election”.
Why did Reform say Farage stayed away?
Later, Reform said that the reasons Farage stayed away from the count were more serious than had been indicated at first.
A party spokesperson said: “Essex Police advised Nigel not to attend the count tonight due to a credible threat against him.”
Asked about the alleged threats against Farage, Richard Tice, the party’s deputy leader, said: “Nigel’s security team are tasked with keeping him safe, secure, and alive.
He added: “Nigel would have loved to have been at the count.
“He’d have loved to have received that good news and that result in person.
“There’s no one who believes more in the propriety of that process, but ultimately, it’s their [police’s] job to keep him safe, and they assessed that they couldn’t guarantee that.”
Tice then pointed to the investigation into the alleged murder of Reform spokesperson Ann Widdecombe, as well as the alleged “firebombing” incident at Farage’s home last year.
Police are investigating if the man charged with murdering Widdecombe was also responsible for firebombing Farage’s home.
“We’re very cautious about issues around safety and security for obvious reasons,” Tice said.
In an interview with LBC, Tice indicated that Reform’s security arrangements would supersede official police guidance on threats.
He told Nick Ferrari: “His security team were very concerned about a credible threat to his security […] I don’t think anybody should have the temerity to question our judgements and our security team’s judgements about security and safety.
“People have no idea what the level of threats and risk we face.
“I don’t know what the official guidance was. The point is, Nick, ultimately it’s not the police who decide as to whether or not Nigel is kept safe. It is his security team.
“They are tasked with keeping him safe and secure and, bluntly alive, and I respect their judgement in, uh, in preference to anybody else’s judgement.”
What did the police say?
However, The i Paper understands Essex Police did not tell Farage, or any other candidate, not to attend the count.
A police spokesperson said there had been “a full and robust policing operation in place around the Clacton by-election”, as with all significant elections in the county.
All 51 polling stations were visited by officers, who patrolled on foot and in vehicles with a drone team monitoring from the air.
They added there were no incidents or issues throughout Thursday and Friday, with officers working alongside Tendring District Council’s security teams.
“The decision of candidates to attend or not attend the election count is a decision for individuals and their security teams,” a police spokesperson said.
What could happen now?
The parliamentary investigation launched into a £5m gift received by Farage from the crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne resumed after he won the by-election.
The inquiry was later widened to probe if Farage should have declared support from convicted fraudster George Cottrell.
According to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards’ website, the probe over an alleged failure to declare an interest is now under way again after it was opened on 13 May.
Previously, the website said it had been suspended amid the Clacton by-election, with the resumption automatic now Farage is returning to the Commons after winning the vote.
Farage could face a second by-election if he is found to have broken parliamentary rules. If the standards commissioner rules against him, MPs could suspend him from the Commons.
If he is suspended for more than 10 sitting days, it would trigger a recall petition in his constituency. And if at least 10 per cent of voters sign up, he will lose his seat and have to fight another by-election.