Who to vote for: Clacton By - Election 2026
Voters in the Clacton constituency head to the polls on Thursday 13 August 2026 in a highly unusual parliamentary by-election. The contest was triggered by the resignation of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as the local MP earlier in July. Farage stepped down amid parliamentary scrutiny of his finances but is standing again to seek a fresh mandate from constituents.
What makes this race stand out is the sheer number of candidates. Tendring District Council confirmed a record-breaking 34 people on the ballot — the highest number for a UK parliamentary election in modern times (beating the previous mark of 26 at the 2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election). Major Westminster parties including Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens chose not to field candidates, leaving a crowded field dominated by independents, minor parties and novelty/satirical contenders.
The ballot paper is unusually long (reportedly approaching a metre in some reports), and polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm. Nearly 80,000 electors are eligible to vote across the constituency, which covers Clacton-on-Sea and surrounding areas of the Tendring district in Essex.
Full List of Candidates (in approximate ballot order)
Here is the complete list of candidates and their party or description, drawn from official nominations and consistent reporting:
Joseph 77 - Independent
Adham Alkhatip - The Forward Party
Count Binface - Count Binface Party
Nick The Incredible Flying Brick - The Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Tony Cane - Independent
Woke Trump Carrzee - Independent
William Stuart James Clouston - Social Democratic Party
Rees Cowne - Independent
Glenn Charles Cummings - Independent
Martin Davies - Freedom Alliance – Real People, Real Alternative!
Andy Erlam - Independent
Nigel Farage - Reform UK
Attieh Fard - Independent
Laurence Fox - The Reclaim Party
Tony Francis - Independent
Robin Green - Independent
Abi Hookway - Independent
Howling Laud Hope - The Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Stephen Richard Ingram - Independent
Amy Morris - Independent
Derrick Norbert Morris - Independent
Michael Noel O'Keeffe - Independent
Martyn O'Brien - Independent
Nick Pelas - Independent
Ketankumar Pipaliya - UK VOICE safer and stronger UK
Daniel Pocock - Independent (or no description listed)
James Ransley - Consensus Party
Gerry Smith - Independent
Kai Stephens - British Democrats
John Stevens - Rejoin EU
Baron Von Thunderclap - The Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Pamela Walford - Independent
Marcus White - Everyone is God Party
Marc Wilkinson - Independent
Key notes on the field:
Around 19–20 candidates are standing as Independents.
The Official Monster Raving Loony Party has three candidates (a strong novelty presence).
High-profile names include Reform UK’s Nigel Farage, satirical candidate Count Binface, and Reclaim Party’s Laurence Fox.
Other parties represented include the Social Democratic Party, Forward Party, Freedom Alliance, British Democrats, Rejoin EU, Consensus, UK Voice, and Everyone is God Party.
This eclectic mix reflects the unusual circumstances of the by-election. With mainstream parties sitting it out, voters face a choice ranging from established political figures and minor-party contenders to independents focused on local issues and classic British novelty candidates known for light-hearted or protest platforms.
The result will determine who represents Clacton in the House of Commons until the next general election. Farage enters as the clear favourite given his previous strong performance in the seat in 2024, but the large field and absence of major-party opposition have drawn significant attention to the contest.
