Photographers covering the Clacton by-election count had brought their extra-wide lenses on Friday morning to capture the biggest field of candidates in UK electoral history.
They were also hoping for a shot of Nigel Farage next to Count Binface. But when the declaration finally arrived at 6am, the man responsible for it all was nowhere to be seen.
Nigel Farage comfortably won re-election in the contest he’d triggered by quitting Parliament last month, but decided to skip his supposed moment of glory, with Reform UK offering conflicting and changing explanations as to why.
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.”
It meant that the stage was left to comedy rival Count Binface and the other eccentric and novelty candidates on the 34-strong ballot paper. In total, it took the returning officer a full five minutes and 44 seconds to get through the list of results.
As the dust settles on a truly surreal episode in British politics, Farage may have just about saved face in a contest which quickly descended into farce.
Rivals hope Farage will run out of ‘stamina’
However, his political position remains just as precarious as when he called the by-election in July thanks to a still-looming standards investigation.
What’s more, some Reform supporters think he made a political error by not attending the declaration. Farage’s opponents meanwhile have a spring in their step, with some now predicting he will run out of “stamina” and exit frontline politics altogether between now and the general election.
To recap, Farage triggered the by-election to pre-empt an investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Daniel Greenberg, into a £5m undisclosed “gift” he received from the crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne.
Reform claim that the questions over Farage’s finances are part of a “stitch-up” by political opponents and the mainstream media. The theory was that re-election would allow the voters of Clacton to “stick two fingers up to the entire establishment” and cement Farage’s legitimacy.
Farage and Reform can certainly draw some positives from the result. His 22,239 votes (63.9 per cent) was more than the 21,225 (46.2 per cent) he got in the 2024 general election, despite the turnout being lower.
Reform will also take heart from that turnout – 44.4 per cent compared to 58.7 per cent in July 2024. That’s not bad for a by-election at the height of summer which was boycotted by all the main political parties, who had dismissed the contest as a self-serving stunt.
However, it was not an unalloyed success. Farage’s vote share was below the range of 65 to 75 per cent which Reform officials were privately predicting in the run-up to polling day. The fact that 9,455 constituents – more than a quarter of the vote – preferred to back the satirical candidate Count Binface also takes the shine off the victory.
Farage seized on the result as a “convincing, overwhelming win”. But it was further overshadowed by his decision not to turn up on Friday morning – believed to be the first time a successful by-election candidate has not attended the declaration since Bobby Sands in 1981, the IRA prisoner who was close to death from hunger-strike at the time. A planned speech by Farage later in the morning was also cancelled.
Reform’s explanations for the no-show shifted as the morning wore on. First of all, Farage claimed in a speech at his “Farage Fest” party for Reform activists in the early hours of Friday that Essex Police had advised him of an “organised campaign to disrupt and degrade the result” and that he was “damned if I’m going to stand on a stage having won a resounding victory… to be demeaned and humiliated by nobodies”.
Later, a Reform spokesperson said that it was more than humiliation, with Essex Police advising Farage of a “credible threat against him”.
But this was contradicted by Essex Police, who said that they had not advised any candidate to stay away and that there was a policing operation “to ensure the safety and security of all participants in the count”.
Reform MP Lee Anderson later told : “Sometimes some of these police forces that we’ve been dealing with recently are about as honest as you lot at the BBC.”
Reform’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, then told that the decision had been taken by Farage’s security team rather than the police, while refusing to share any information about what the threat was. “Ultimately it’s not the police who decide as to whether or not Nigel is kept safe,” he said. “It’s his security team… I respect their judgment in preference to anybody else’s judgment.”
Asked why Farage had earlier spoken about not wanting to be “demeaned and humiliated”, Tice said: “I don’t know.”
Even in Reform circles there is scepticism about the security claims. A Reform insider told The i Paper: “I suspect there probably was a coordinated attempt to make him look like an idiot, so why would he play their games?”
A Conservative MP said: “I don’t think there was a credible threat. These venues are secure. He just didn’t want it to look like a circus and to be standing against that range of idiotic candidates… probably that was the right decision from his point of view. But the notion that somehow there was a security threat is just bollocks.”
Clacton decision ‘puzzling’
Some Reform supporters have broken ranks to say that the no-show was a mistake. Tim Montgomerie, a high-profile former Tory commentator who joined Reform in 2024, posted on X: “You don’t skip your own victory count without a much better explanation.”
He added: “He’s distracting from his victory. Puzzling.”
The row over the non-attendance will blow over, but now Farage faces the much more serious issue of the reactivated standards investigation.
If the Commissioner finds against him and the cross-party Select Committee on Standards recommends a punishment of 10 days suspension from the Commons or longer, Farage would be subject to a recall petition.
If a petition reached 10 per cent of eligible registered voters in a constituency within a six-week period, a second by-election would be triggered.
For the first time, Farage also appears to have conceded that he might have made a mistake in not disclosing the £5m.
He told at the Farage Fest party: “Do you know if I’ve made one sin? I haven’t filled in a piece of paper. I’ve broken no law. I’ve broken no tax law. I’ve taken no public money.”
He added: “And, you know, maybe I haven’t filled in a piece of paper. I’m confident I’m right. We’ll see where we go.”
The Tory MP said that the result on Friday had changed nothing. “[The] Commissioner for Standards is meticulous and assiduous with all of us,” they said
“This isn’t some trivial matter – being given £5m by someone who clearly has an interest in the way that crypto and other financial things are regulated. That is not something that he can say ‘well I will decide to call an election and win it’. He was obviously wrongfooted by the decision of all of us not to play along [with the by-election].
“He now thinks that’s he’s going to wipe the slate clean, but that’s not for him to determine. You can’t join a Parliament and then say ‘well actually this is an establishment attack’ every time you get asked difficult questions.”
“It’s a Pyrrhic victory because it hasn’t answered the fundamental problem that led him to declare the by-election in the first place.”
Another by-election possible
A Labour MP said that the “key takeaway” from Friday’s result “is that there’s easily enough votes in Clacton for a recall petition, should it come to it”. Binface got 12 per cent of eligible registered voters – more than the 10 per cent trigger threshold.
Reform insiders are confident that they would win a second by-election. A senior party source said: “He sent a message to Parliament that he has got the absolutely overwhelming support of his constituency, and if they want to impose another election upon them, then they will have to answer to the people of Clacton.
“All of the so-called allegations against him are known, and despite all that, the people of Clacton gave him their full-throated support, so it wouldn’t change.”
The Labour MP was more optimistic. “My sense is we’d see markedly different behaviour if the electorate can rally around one credible opponent,” they said.
But some of Farage’s opponents are dreaming of another potential outcome – that he might lack the “stamina” to weather the ongoing scrutiny about his and Reform’s finances and the tougher political environment since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister.
The Tory MP said: “Usually in politics there’s a sort of war of attrition… how much he really thinks he’s going to be prime minister?
“There’s a reasonable chance he could just say ‘sod it, I’d rather be the martyr to the political establishment’.
“That will unleash an unholy row between [Robert] Jenrick, Zia [Yusuf], Tice. They all hate each other, there’s no functional structure at the top of Reform. That’s when I think the wheels will come off, when he leaves the stage… they’ll go down 5 per cent immediately”
“I suspect that he’s probably going to run out of steam, he’s going to be in his mid-60s at the time of the next election and does he really want that?”