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Nigel Farage faces renewed watchdog probe after Clacton by
BBC • • general
Key Points:
- Nigel Farage won the Clacton by-election with 63% of the vote on a 44% turnout, despite a boycott from major Westminster parties and a record 34 candidates standing.
- Farage did not attend the vote count, citing warnings from Essex Police about an alleged campaign to disrupt the result, although police denied advising candidates to skip the count.
- The by-election was triggered by Farage's resignation amid an investigation into his failure to declare a £5m gift from billionaire donor Christopher Harborne, which could lead to suspension or another by-election.
- Opposition parties criticized the by-election as a "gimmick" and "circus," with Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Greens, and Restore Britain refusing to contest the seat.
- Critics, including Labour and Liberal Democrats, condemned Farage's victory as hollow amid ongoing scandals, urging the parliamentary standards investigation to proceed without delay.
