Nigel Farage has successfully secured the Clacton seat for his Reform Party, marking his first victory as an MP after eight attempts. Farage, who was widely predicted to win with a 95% chance according to pre-election forecasts, garnered 21,225 votes, achieving a majority of nearly 9,000.
Farage defeated Conservative candidate Giles Watling, who had held the seat since 2017. Watling received 12,820 votes, placing him in second. The Reform Party is expected to win 13 seats throughout the evening, as suggested by exit polls.
Farage’s campaign faced significant controversy recently when a second Reform candidate resigned, alleging that the “vast majority” of Reform candidates are “racist, misogynistic, and bigoted.” Georgie David, the Reform candidate for West Ham and Beckton, expressed her belief that while the party leadership was not racist, it had failed to address the issue adequately.
In response, a spokesman for Reform expressed disappointment in David’s actions, strongly disagreeing with her generalizations about the party’s 600-plus candidates. The spokesman added that David was a last-minute addition to the candidate list and apologized to the voters of West Ham and Beckton for any inconvenience caused.
The Reform Party has also been embroiled in allegations of racism following recordings by an undercover journalist from Channel 4, capturing campaigners in Clacton making racist comments, including remarks about the Prime Minister, who is of Indian descent. Farage has stated that “bad apples” would be removed from the party, blaming the issue on a vetting company that had failed to properly assess candidates.
Despite these controversies, Farage’s victory in Clacton marks a significant milestone for the Reform Party as they seek to establish a stronger presence in Parliament.
