Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has announced that her party will not field a candidate in the forthcoming Clacton by-election, dismissing the contest as a “fake by-election” orchestrated by Nigel Farage to divert attention from an ongoing parliamentary investigation into his financial affairs.
The decision marks a significant political shift for the Conservatives, who finished second to Reform UK in Clacton at the 2024 general election after losing what had long been one of the party’s safest seats.
In the 2019 general election, the Conservatives won Clacton by a majority of almost 25,000 votes before Farage captured the constituency during Reform UK’s breakthrough in 2024.
Explaining the party’s decision, Badenoch said the Conservatives would instead contest what she described as the “real by-election” if one is triggered following the conclusion of Parliament’s standards investigation.
“We will be standing a candidate in the real byelection, which will follow the standards investigation into Nigel Farage’s fishy finances.
“We will not be standing a candidate in the fake byelection that Farage is causing to distract people from what is happening. We need to let that investigation run its course, and I think the reason why Nigel Farage has resigned is because he’s terrified that he’s going to be found to have done something wrong.”
Badenoch argued that Farage should have publicly explained the allegations surrounding his financial declarations instead of resigning his seat.
“The best thing for him to have done would have been to call a press conference and explain what he did with the money, apologise if needs be, and that would have been the end of it. Instead, he has been running away from scrutiny. No one is bigger than parliament. We all have to register our interests.”
Nigel Farage Resignation
Farage announced his resignation as MP for Clacton on Tuesday, triggering a by-election in which he intends to seek an immediate return to Parliament. The Reform UK leader has portrayed the vote as a contest between “the people and the establishment” while denying any wrongdoing.
The parliamentary Standards Commissioner is investigating allegations that Farage failed to properly declare significant gifts and financial support, including reported multimillion-pound donations and benefits linked to businessman Christopher Harborne. Farage has rejected the allegations, insisting he complied with parliamentary rules and describing the investigation as politically motivated.
The Conservatives are not alone in refusing to participate. The Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats have also indicated they will not field candidates, arguing that Farage is using the by-election to distract attention from the standards investigation rather than allowing Parliament’s processes to conclude.
Despite the boycott by Britain’s three largest parties, Farage is widely expected to retain the Essex constituency should the by-election proceed. However, political analysts note that if the Standards Committee ultimately recommends a suspension severe enough to trigger a recall petition or another vacancy, Clacton could face a second by-election later this year.
