The investigation into Nigel Farage's £5 million donation has been prised back open now he is re-elected as an MP.
The Reform UK leader is being investigated for failing to declare the multimillion-pound donation from party donor Christopher Harborne, made weeks before Mr Farage stood in the 2024 general election.
It comes after Mr Farage won the Clacton by-election, but he did not attend the count over disputed claims of a “credible threat” against him.
The Reform UK leader secured 22,232 votes, comfortably winning the by-election he triggered by deciding to stand down amidst ongoing scrutiny over his financial affairs. His next closest challenger, Count Binface, secured 9455 votes.
However, Mr Farage did not appear at the count alongside the other candidates after he claimed that Essex Police informed him about a threat against him.
However, Essex Police said it had "robust" policing in place at the count and did not tell any candidate not to attend, The Independent understands.
Mr Farage was due to make what was billed as a “major speech” in Clacton at 10.30am on Friday, but Reform cancelled it.
Watch: Count Binface 'gratified' after finishing second in Clacton by-election
Independent candidate calls by-election 'farce'
Independent candidate Marc Wilkinson, who won 11 votes in the by-election, condemned the entire process, which he called a “farce”.
He told The Independent: “People in Clacton have really felt ridiculed and mocked by the whole face of the whole thing. The whole farce of Farage standing down in the first place, totally unnecceeearily, the farce of all the main parties not standing and the farce of the media frenzy around the farce itself of Count Binface.”
Mr Wilkinson, from Edinburgh, is in the process of setting up a party called Essex People, which he believes can restore faith in democracy by removing the party whip system and donations.
He described Nigel Farage’s no-show at the count as “shocking”, adding: “In one way I wasn’t surprised, but I was surprised, because I purposely had my extra special rosette designed to get some exposure for the project.”
Mr Wilkinson is now preparing for the prospect of a second by-election in this constituency.
If Mr Farage is found to have broken Parliament’s code of conduct by the commissioner, sanctions could range from a forced apology to a suspension from Commons.
Should he be suspended from Commons for 10 or more sitting days, constituents in Clacton are able to trigger another by-election if 10 per cent of eligible voters sign a recall petition.
About that, Mr Wilkinson said: “There only needs to be one by-election, there never needed to be two. The second by-election will be prompted - not by Farage or the standards committee, it will be prompted and caused the Clactonian electorate, if 10 per cent of them go to vote to recall him.
“I think Farage will try to persuade them not to do that, because they will just be forcing a second by-election.”
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Police contest Nigel Farage’s claim he stayed away from Clacton count because of ‘credible threat’
Police have contested Nigel Farage’s claims that he was told by officers not to attend the Clacton -by-election count due to a “credible threat” against him.
The Reform UK leader pre-empted the result by telling supporters he had won “fairly convincingly”, adding that he would not attend the official declaration at Clacton Leisure Centre because Essex Police had told him about an “organised campaign to disrupt and degrade the result”.
A Reform UK spokesperson later said: “Essex Police advised Nigel not to attend the count tonight due to a credible threat against him.”
However, The Independent understands Essex Police did not tell Mr Farage, or any other candidate, not to attend the count.
Read more from our political correspondent Millie Cooke here:
Why has the investigation into Farage been reopened?
The parliamentary investigation into a £5 million gift received by Nigel Farage has resumed after he won the Clacton by-election.
When Nigel Farage stood down as an MP, the investigation was paused.
But following his victory, the probe over an alleged failure to declare an interest is now ongoing again after it was opened on May 13, according to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards’ website.
Breaking: Farage investigation reopened by parliamentary commissioner
The investigation into Nigel Farage's donations has been reopened.
The Reform UK leader is being investigated for failing to declare the multimillion-pound donation from party donor Christopher Harborne, made weeks before Mr Farage stood in the 2024 general election.
Lee Anderson suggests 'planned disruption' stopped Farage from attending vote count
Lee Anderson appeared to suggest Nigel Farage had not attended the Clacton by-election count as there was “some planned disruption”.
Reform UK previously said the party leader had been advised not to attend by police due to a “credible threat” but this has been contested.
Asked whether there had been a credible threat made against him, Reform MP Mr Anderson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Well, he was told, and he said this in his speech earlier about five hours ago, that there was some planned disruption amongst I think it was some of the other candidates. I think that was the case.
“So why go there when you’ve got you know 35, sorry, 33 other other candidates who and their team… Why would you go there and listen to them being abusive when you can be with real people from the real world?
”Pressed on whether there was a difference between disruption and a “credible threat”, he said: “It’s not up to you at the BBC to decide whether or not there’s a credible threat.
“It’s up to Nigel and his security team, and that’s the end of that question.”
What the results actually indicate for Farage- analysis
Luke Tryl, UK director at More in Common, said: “The result is a tale of two numbers. Farage’s raw vote total of 22,000, above his 2024 vote, in an August, semi-uncontested by-election, is impressive, suggesting no diminution of enthusiasm among his supporters, and some new converts.
“But his 63 per cent vote share is at the lower end of expectations, a reminder that his opponents are highly motivated to turn out too, whoever the main challenger is, giving Binface nearly 10,000 votes.
“That doesn’t matter in Clacton, which had the highest combined ‘right’ vote in the country in 2024. But in swing seats, where the opposition unites, and the Tories refuse to be squeezed, the ‘anti-Farage’ vote becomes a real problem. We saw anti-Reform tactical voting and turnout play out in Makerfield and in Gorton and Denton.
“In our Clacton focus groups we heard both sides. Voters who enthusiastically backed Farage and saw the finance row as an establishment stitch-up, or “no worse than what other politicians do”, but also many on the right, including former Conservative voters, angered by what they saw as an unnecessary by-election and willing to vote, or sit the contest out, in order to send Farage a message.
“That intensity mattered less under Starmer, when the left were more divided. But if Andy Burnham manages to unite the left and lead Labour into the next General Election, there will be a greater premium on Reform thinking about how to detoxify their brand, both to win back their wavering voters and to reassure the wider public to avoid mobilising the anti-Farage vote.”
Clacton results in numbers
Here we take a closer look at the results:
'I don't know what's gone on here'- Phillipson on Farage's security claims
Bridget Phillipson said police were “used to dealing with high-profile situations” but it was “hard to know” what had happened that meant Nigel Farage did not attend the Clacton by-election count.
Asked about Reform UK’s contested claim that police had advised him not to go, she told Sky News: “Well, of course, the safety of politicians is of the utmost importance and no-one should face threats or intimidation because of who they are and the job that they’re seeking to do.
“I don’t know exactly what’s gone on here, but like you, I’ve heard what the police have had to say, that they’ve pushed back a bit on on that suggestion, and I know that Nigel Farage is facing some criticism, even from within his own ranks, that he’s not, wasn’t, prepared to be at the count.
“And, you know, those who are responsible for running counts and the police oversight of that, they’re used to dealing with high-profile situations. But, you know, I think people will come to their own conclusions. It’s hard to know. Nigel Farage has given one version of events and we’ve heard something a bit different from the police responsible.”
Bridget Phillipson: 'No hiding place now for Farage'
Bridget Phillipson said there was “no hiding place now” for Nigel Farage after the Clacton by-election concluded and he must “answer to the public”.
The Labour chairwoman told Sky News: “Nigel Farage can set out to the public exactly what’s been going on in recent weeks and months, all of the sleaze and the scandal that Reform has been engulfed in, whether it’s the £5 million dodgy gift or his connections to a convicted fraudster, these are just piling up.
“There’s no hiding place now and Nigel Farage needs to answer to the public as to exactly what’s going on. And this distraction by-election, that’s out of the way now, so we can get on with it.”