Back in the glorious early 2000’s, I knew Clacton-on-sea as a cheap and cheerful holiday destination: (occasional) sun, sea and the second best pier amusements in Essex. Nowadays, the name of this seaside town rings bells across the country: the political home of Nigel Farage.
The Clacton by-election this Summer further exposed the negative energy radiating from the pier. Nigel himself stepped down? I refused to believe that was a genuine act, and not a way to once again manipulate the press and his devoted followers to forgive previous mistakes and return him to his seat.
The drama continues. Who was Farage’s main component? The recently famous Count Binface. Familiar from the Makerfield by-election, Binface took a treacherous journey from Sigma IV all the way down to Essex to give Farage a run for his money. As sad as it sounds, I thought there was some glimpse of hope. I don’t know about you, but Farage has already thrown Clacton-on-sea to the dogs, why not throw it to the bin instead?
Despite all hopes and prayers, Farage won the by-election on 13th August 2026, claiming his Reform seat with 22,239 votes. Yet again, Essex reclaims its title as the breeding ground for Reform voters, but that didn’t start here.
The county of Essex, in my opinion, has become right-washed. We have a majority Reform council who has banned pride events from local libraries and planned security forces to control citizen actions. As someone born and bred in Essex, a ten minute drive from the infamous Bell Hotel, I can’t express how relieved I am to primarily live in Sheffield now.
Farages’ consistent Clacton wins aren’t the only part of this story: Reform ideology is spreading fast through the county of Essex, and the whole country too. We think we’re safe in Sheffield. For now. We need to look back at these patterns. If a by-election is proposed and Mr Binface returns; maybe we should learn and root for the bin!
This story is bigger than Clacton; It’s bigger than Essex and to some extent: it’s bigger than the United Kingdom. All I can do for now is stick with my own beliefs, and long for the days when Essex’s personal mascot was the fabulous Gemma Collins. Before you ask, my next seaside getaway will be Southend.
Image credits – Jimmykphotos (Pexels)
