In a significant development from England, Nigel Farage was elected as the MP for Clacton, succeeding in getting a seat in parliament on his eighth attempt. The Reform UK leader defeated the Conservative candidate, Giles Watling, who had represented the coastal constituency in Essex since 2017, winning 21,225 votes – a majority of 8,405. Clacton had been regarded as Reform UK’s best hope of taking a seat. It previously had been the only constituency to return a Ukip MP in a general election when it was won in 2015 by Douglas Carswell, who had successfully retained it during a byelection the previous year after defecting from the Tories.
‘This is just the first step in something that will stun you all,” Farage said in his victory speech.
One of the biggest surprises of Britain’s election night has been the gains made by the right-wing Reform UK party. The first parliamentary seat was confirmed in the early hours, with Lee Anderson taking the Ashfield constituency from the Conservatives. Early results showed Reform UK in third place with 20% of the vote, just behind the Conservatives at 20.2%., which has a hardline stance on immigration and was born out of the Brexit Party.
The latter, founded by Farage, focused on advocating for a “no-deal Brexit” between 2016 and 2021. After Brexit, the party campaigned on other issues, such as opposition to Covid lockdowns.
Farage, who had repeatedly failed to win a seat in the U.K. legislature despite serving in the European Parliament, stepped down as party leader in March 2021. Initially, he stated he would not stand as an MP in 2024 to focus on supporting Donald Trump’s U.S. presidential campaign. However, he reversed this decision in June, announcing that he would both stand as an MP and resume his role as Reform UK leader.
A video posted on X by Farage on Thursday read, “The revolt against the establishment is underway,” as Farage expressed his astonishment, calling the gains “almost unbelievable.”
Farage highlighted the vote’s significance in his video, stating, “What does it mean? It means we’re going to win seats, many, many seats. Mainstream media are in denial, just as much as our political parties. This is going to be 6 million votes plus. This vote is huge.”
Farage, a prominent figure in British politics, has long been considered a polarizing force. Born on April 3, 1964, Farage initially worked as a commodities trader before entering politics. He became a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for South East England in 1999, a position he held until the U.K.’s exit from the European Union in 2020. Farage is best known for his leadership of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and later the Brexit Party, both of which were instrumental in pushing for the U.K.’s departure from the EU.
Analysts argue that Farage’s return to politics has boosted the party at the expense of the Conservatives. David Bull, co-deputy leader of Reform UK, told the BBC that pollsters had underestimated the party’s support, similar to their underestimation of Brexit supporters.
“I think what you’re seeing is actually the shy Reformers coming out in droves. We saw this with Brexit, didn’t we? The shy Brexiteers, so the pollsters were caught off-guard and once again they’ve been caught off-guard,” Bull said, adding: “13 seats, that is extraordinary.”
