Conservative leader says party will field candidate in Clacton by-election if standards probe resumes
Kemi Badenoch pledged to nominate a Conservative candidate for the Clacton by-election should a parliamentary standards investigation into Nigel Farage restart, while Reform UK criticised the Tories for not standing.
The Clacton constituency in Essex will hold a by-election on Thursday after Nigel Farage resigned his seat, prompting a standards inquiry into a £5 million donation he received before becoming an MP. The investigation, led by parliamentary standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg, was paused by Farage’s resignation but could resume if he wins the vote, potentially leading to a recall petition.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch wrote to local voters stating that the party will put forward a "serious candidate" if a genuine contest emerges after the inquiry concludes. She added that the Conservatives intend to field a candidate who will "turn up, listen, hold meetings and work for the people" of Clacton.
Reform UK, whose leader is among the 34 candidates on the ballot, accused the Conservatives of abandoning the electorate. A party spokesperson said, "If Kemi Badenoch and the Conservatives truly had any respect for democracy they would have stood a candidate in this by-election."
Other candidates include Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, Count Binface, actor-turned-politician Laurence Fox, and three members of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party.