Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage Returns to UK Parliament

Reform UK Party leader Nigel Farage has won the by-election for his former Clacton seat, returning to the UK Parliament. Farage secured 22,239 votes, accounting for 62.8% of the total, with a turnout of 44.37%. His closest rival was comedian Jonathan David Harvey, who received 9,455 votes, or 26.7% of the total. The main political parties in the UK described Farage's bid to return to Parliament as "a self-serving exercise". Before the results were announced, Farage told his supporters that he had no intention of being "humiliated or demeaned" by appearing on stage despite his overwhelming victory. Shortly after Farage's win, it was announced that a parliamentary investigation into whether he had declared gifts from donors would be reopened. The by-election in Clacton set a record for the most candidates in a UK election, with 34 contenders, and also saw a record 20 independent candidates participate.