A message to the people of Clacton

True!

Absolutely. It's definitely very bad for Farage and I take the utmost pleasure in that. Was just musing really on the possible response in Clacton.

I meant if he wins by a small majority. The heat’s addling my brain!

I know you mean well op but its this patronising comments that have strengthened Farage's support and others like him

People want to be listened to not patronised, they want to feel someone is on their side, you may not view Farage as being on their side, we know he is self serving but he did listen when millions of voters said we are not being listened to we just didn't like what we were hearing

I agree with that to some extent but I see this as lose/lose for Farage now. If he wins the investigation resumes and will drag on for some time with all the corresponding headlines. If he’s defeated by a bin his political career is ended. That also applies if he’s defeated with a small majority. He’s just committed political suicide.

A circus entirely of NF's personal creation @LuckyHazelFox

@Ormally I do take your point but what I'm really hoping is that the run up to the by election might actually include some focus on the very real problems Clacton faces (like a lot of similar towns) There is going to be a vast amount of media attention and a lot of that will be because of Binface.

Noone should point at and mock the people of Clacton (I'm certainly not) They voted Reform in numbers I believe because many felt ignored by the major parties and Nige and his cronies promise the earth. Maybe enough time has passed since his election for them to see him as the hollow, self interested man he is and if not, they have the perfect right and ability to reelect him.

I agree with this. And it's the one aspect of this otherwise very enjoyable state of affairs that does give me pause.
I've watched several sets of interviews with the people of Clacton, and whether they were pro or anti Farage, the one thing they seemed to have in common, is that they are angry, about the state of Clacton and of their lives. Some blame the government and see Farage as a saviour. Others blame Farage for his neglect of them.
I'm wondering how much appetite angry people who think they are overlooked and their lives and town ignored are going to have for being at the centre of a national joke.
Its quite possible that it could be read as their real life problems being ignored while people without their struggles laugh it up because they've a bin for a candidate.
My concern being that this may drive Reform support rather than reduce it.

I agree - he got to Oxford from Croydon, not via a pubic school. He isn’t in it for the prestige. Like others I would have liked at least one candidate from an established to stand so that ‘democracy’ was actually being offered up to the voters of Clacton and the £250000 cost of the by-election (which comes out of central govt funds, so WE are all paying for it) could be justified. However, I am hoping my faith in humanity is restored and Count BinFace is elected.

It would be another Zelenski moment, as he didn’t seriously expect to win, but stepped up when he was needed.

This is a reason for which I would admire him, but think how this may look to many of the people in Clacton, and how close to their background experience this might be. Absolutely agree that Farage would also seem to be a poor fit there, but he is the one who has had the post and the responsibility for representing the people who voted (again, this is probably a minority for a lot of elections). To change minds or to encourage people who are not voting and who would have no faith that any party gives a toss about the place they live, I don't think contempt or treating people as denizens of a joke territory, all totally in agreement with their MPs, worthy of a good larf, is the way to go at all.

Which begs the question as to why he's not running without the comedy act. We've seen enough comedy with the Labour leadership farce. Bringing in another MP because there's nobody good enough in the party. An absolute circus.

How are your investments in the tiny violin industry going? It must be booming.

Count Binface read Classics at Oxford (presumably as an Intergalactic Student) It is a really academically demanding course and even getting on it shows serious smarts and discipline.

All the humour aside, I think CB would do his best for the people of Clacton. The day he held his first constituency surgery would already be a damn sight more that Flouncing Farage ever managed.

He wanted to win Clacton in competition with the other parties so he could say "look the people have judged me and still want me, which should supercede any enquiry by the establishment"

Yes I agree with you tbf.

That makes no sense. The other parties know he has support in Clacton and that it would be difficult for any one of them to beat him with the anti Reform vote split amongst them all, making it a difficult seat to win. This happens in respect of all parties in different seats. Its not something they fear, its not unusual, and doesn't stop them putting up candidates even knowing they won't win.
In this case, the other parties are putting a spoke in Farages wheels. He wants to circumvent the due process whereby an MP is called into question, by making this a judgement by his constituents.
That's not how it works, as he could get re elected on the votes of a minority of the people of Clacton, (look how many councils Reform control, despite only 10% of the electorate voting for them) and give a false impression he had 'the approval of the public'.
The other parties have made it so when he wins, he wins only because there was no competition.

I don’t understand why Nigel Farage is only buying himself a few weeks grace because he’ll get elected again and the investigations into the donations will continue. It’s just madness isn’t it. I don’t believe that people will vote for the other candidates in large enough numbers.
What does he hope to achieve ? The allegations won’t be dropped only curtailed.
I didn’t listen to his entire speech on Wednesday though.

Why on earth should the main parties expend time and energy engaging in Farage’s charade? He chose to call a by election and then stand again in the hopes that this would stop the investigations into his corruption. Let him slug it out with Count Binface and a bunch of dodgy independents or far right wierdos.

I can’t quote specific lines but my yes they have was referring to the claim people who like Kemi don’t criticise Farage, I’ve read the posts where they do so it’s not correct.

But yes no one has to agree with any politician on everything, that’s ok.

Running scared of him more like. At least KB acknowledges Farage is a legitimate MP.

I fail to see why Badenoch's followers should agree with her on everything? Bizarre take. I think she's wrong to not keep an open mind to joining alliances with Reform to boost the Tories' poll rating.