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Louise Thomas
Editor
Clacton is expected to receive an official visit by a US president if Nigel Farage pulls off victory on Thursday and his friend Donald Trump retakes the White House in November, Reform campaigners have been told.
With Mr Farage now the odds on favourite to win the seaside town against defending Tory MP Giles Watling his supporters are already beginning to look ahead to what will follow.
With the election of an international celebrity politician, Reform campaigners in Clacton have been told that Trump will visit if he is reelected against an increasingly tired looking Joe Biden.
Mr Trump’s love for golf may mean that Clacton Golf Club with its 18-hole links course, 10-acre practice field, putting and chipping areas and clubhouse with bar may need to prepare for an unusual guest.
Mr Farage’s election agent Peter Harris – a local independent councillor who quit the Tory party over Boris Johnson being ousted but previously fought as a Ukip candidate in Dagenham – is convinced the town will need to prepare for a Trump visit.
He told The Independent: “I just don’t think people fully grasp how big a win for Nigel will be here..
“I am pretty sure Nigel will win, although we are taking nothing for granted and I just pray Trump wins in November. If he does he will definitely visit Clacton and it will be like nothing that has happened here ever before.”
He also believed a Farage victory, Trump visit and the resulting international attention on a largely forgotten part of the Essex coastline will be transformative and bring in significant investment.
“When you think about it, we have our freeport in Harwich which stretches down the cost into this constituency,” he said.
“There are all sorts of opportunities for investment post Brexit that Nigel can bring here.”
However, after the Channel 4 News expose last week of elements of Mr Farage’s team in Dagenham which saw the party sack three people, the result is not yet in the bag.
Reform have claimed that the Channel 4 feature was “a stitch up” and made an official complaint over “electoral interference” because one of the people filmed was an actor Andrew Parker whose roles include infiltrating organisations.
However, Channel 4 and Mr Parker have denied that he was paid to act a role to discredit the local campaign.
Nevertheless, Giles Watling, the defending Tory MP is getting significant support from around the UK and has even managed to unite two bitter adversaries in supporting his campaign.
Tony Blair’s spin doctor Alastair Campbell has offered his help while Boris Johnson has sent a video message calling on people to vote for Mr Watling.
