CLACTON-ON-SEA, England, Aug 14 (Reuters) – Nigel Farage, leader of Britain’s populist Reform UK party, said on Friday he had regained his parliamentary seat, but would not be present at the vote count because of a police warning about a campaign to disrupt the result.
After weeks of facing accusations that he failed to properly declare millions of pounds received from a wealthy backer, Farage abruptly resigned from parliament last month to seek a new mandate in a “people against the establishment” election in the southern seaside resort of Clacton.
Farage told supporters at a party before the results were officially announced that he had won a “resounding victory” in a contest where his highest-profile challenger was a comedian dressed as a trash can, after the main political parties boycotted the election.
He said the local police force had informed him of an “organised campaign to disrupt and degrade” the result.
“I am damned if I’m going to stand on a stage, having won a resounding victory … and be demeaned and humiliated by nobodies,” he said. “I will not, sadly, be attending the count.”
A Reform spokesperson said there was a “credible threat” against Farage. Reform also announced a planned speech by Farage on Friday morning had been cancelled because he had “already commented on the expected result”.
Essex Police said in a short statement it had a “proportionate and robust” operation to ensure the safety and security of all participants in the count.
While Farage aimed to demonstrate his strong local support to bolster his position against the accusation of financial impropriety, the decision by major parties not to put up candidates left him facing more than 30 rivals, including comedians and independents, in what was the longest ballot paper in British political history.
His main rival is likely to be Count Binface, a silver cape-clad character created by comedian Jonathan Harvey, who has run against three prime ministers over the last decade to poke fun at them.
(Reporting by Marissa Davison; Writing by Andrew MacAskill; Editing by Lincoln Feast)
