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Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has at last been elected as an MP, taking the seat of Clacton in Essex after seven unsuccessful attempts to get into the House of Commons.
Mr Farage received 21,225 votes, comfortably beating the Conservatives Giles Watling with a majority of 8,405.
In his victory speech Mr Farage declared Reform is “coming for Labour” and added It has been a “remarkably clean” battle for the seat and thanked his fellow candidates.
“I promise that I will do my absolute best as a member of parliament. I have 20 years as an MEP but it’s not quite the same link or same responsibility with constituents,” he said.
“It’s four weeks and three days since I decided to come out of retirement and throw my hat in the ring. I think what Reform UK has achieved in just those few short weeks is truly extraordinary.
“Given we had no money, no branch structure, virtually nothing across the country, we’re going to come second in hundreds of constituencies, how many seats we’re going to win – I don’t know.
“But to have done this in such a short space of time says something very fundamental is happening.”
Exit polls indicate his party is set to win 13 seats, with Lee Anderson having already retained his Ashfield seat for Reform UK.
Mr Farage initially announced he would not run in the general election, before changing his mind because he couldn’t “let down millions of people”.
Clacton is the only constituency to have elected a UKIP (or Brexit Party) candidate at a general election – the Conservative defector Douglas Carswell in 2015.
It also had the 5th highest Leave vote in the UK (71%) at the 2016 EU referendum.
He told his audience in Clacton he wanted to fill a “massive gap on the centre-right of British politics”, and is “targeting” Labour supporters.
“What is interesting is, there’s no enthusiasm for Labour, there’s no enthusiasm for Starmer whatsoever. In fact, about half of the vote is simply an anti-Conservative vote.
“This Labour government will be in trouble very, very quickly and we will now be targeting Labour votes.
“We’re coming for Labour, be in no doubt about that.”
Mr Farage added: “Believe me folks, this is just the first step of something that is going to stun all of you.”
His win comes following a controversial Reform campaign marred by allegations of racism, misogyny and homophobia.
A string of scandals hit Reform over the last few weeks, including a party activist calling prime minister Rishi Sunak a “f****** p***”. Another party activist was caught describing the Pride flag as “degenerate” and LGBT+ people “nonces”.
These incidents followed a candidate stepping away from the party for historic comments praising Hitler and Mr Farage himself being accused of “appeasing Vladimir Putin” by blaming the west for the invasion of Ukraine.
This is the 8th time Mr Farage has attempted to become MP, and once again/this time he was unsuccessful/successful.
Before the general election, the Reform UK leader said his long-term goal was to run for prime minister in 2029. He said: “That is our ambition. And we believe it is achievable.”
Full result
Nigel Farage, Reform – 21,225 (46.18%)
Giles Watling, Conservative – 12,820 (27.90%)
Jovan Owusu-Nepaul (Lab) – 7,448 (16.21%)
Matthew Bensilum (LD) – 2,016 (4.39%)
Natasha Osben (Green) – 1,935 (4.21%)
Tony Mack (Ind) 317 – (0.69%)
Andrew Pemberton (UKIP) – 116 (0.25%)
Craig Jamieson (Climate) – 48 (0.10%)
Tasos Papanastasiou (Heritage) – 33 (0.07%)
Reform majority – 8,405 (18.29%)
