Nigel Farage wins UK Clacton by-election

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage won an unusual parliamentary by-election early Friday in the English town of Clacton-on-Sea, which he had triggered amid scrutiny over his finances.

Farage was re-elected as the MP for Clacton after resigning from the post last month, triggering a by-election featuring a record 34 candidates, with the major parties opting not to contest the seat.

He received 22,239 votes, accounting for 62.82% of the total, while his main opponent, satirical candidate Count Binface, received 9,455 votes, or 26.71%, according to Sky News.

A total of 79,785 registered voters were eligible to cast ballots across the constituency, which includes Clacton and the surrounding towns of Jaywick, Frinton and Walton-on-the-Naze.

Farage’s resignation and subsequent announcement that he would stand again came amid scrutiny over his finances, including a £5 million (about $6.7 million) gift from a cryptocurrency entrepreneur that he did not declare and which became the subject of an investigation by the parliamentary standards watchdog.

However, in a video statement, the Reform UK party leader said he had done nothing wrong, and he wanted voters to judge his actions rather than journalists.