Nigel Farage returns as MP, winning Clacton by-election that major parties boycotted

Nigel Farage's victory in the Clacton by-election was a "farce" conducted to "dodge scrutiny", a Conservative spokesperson says in response to this morning's result. "Without any serious opponent in this pointless by-election, Farage has barely increased his overall vote total, secured fewer votes than the Conservative Giles Watling did in 2019, and had to invent absurd reasons to avoid being humiliated at his own vote count," the spokesperson says. Now, the Conservatives say, Farage should respond to "serious outstanding questions" about the £5m he received from the Thailand-based crypto-billionaire and Reform donor Christopher Harborne. The Tories refused to run a candidate in Thursday's by-election. Leader Kemi Badenoch previously said she would "put forward a serious candidate" to run there if a Parliamentary standards investigation leads to another by-election. Farage has denied breaking any rules in relation to his finances.

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