How much will Clacton by-election cost?
Taxpayer set to foot the bill for Essex seat as Reform UK told it cannot pay for Nigel Farage to stand again
Taxpayers will likely foot the bill for a Clacton by-election, costing £200,000 plus, after Nigel Farage was told that Reform was not allowed to pay for it.
Listen to this article
The Reform leader announced on Tuesday that he will resign as MP for the Essex constituency, which he won in 2024, to trigger a by-election.
He is facing a parliamentary standards investigation over a £5m gift from Reform donor Christopher Harborne before becoming an MP, but this would be suspended if he leaves Parliament until he comes back - if he wins.
“Now I’ve decided that the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions," an enraged Mr Farage said, after blaming the media for coverage of his finances while insisting he had done nothing wrong.
Other parties have now cast doubt on fielding a candidate to challenge Mr Farage, with Sir Keir Starmer calling the actions a "desperate stunt" to cover up his wrongdoings.
Unless others join the ballot, it leaves Mr Farage with just one challenger, the novelty candidate Count Binface.
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has told LBC that it would be illegal for Reform to pay for the poll.
"To maintain the independence and impartiality of the electoral process, the law is clear that the cost of running elections must be met from public funds, and not by candidates or political parties," a statement read.
Mr Farage had tweeted: “I have spoken to the CEO of Tendring District Council.
“Reform has offered to cover the cost of the by-election. I will be writing to Rachel Reeves later today with the same message.
“Given that we asked for this by-election in the first place, it’s only right that we pay for it.”
Here is how much the Clacton by-election could cost.
Read also: Sir Ed Davey calls on Chancellor to 'stop Farage's cynical ploy' by rejecting resignation
How much will the Clacton by-election cost?
There have been various amounts thrown around for the possible cost of the by-election, but a consensus seems to be that it will be at least £200,000.
The Independent speculated that it would be £275,046, based on the confirmed 2014 figure, plus 12 years of inflation.
By-elections cost different amounts around the country, and the recent Makerfield vote, which saw Andy Burnham return to the Commons, cost £226,208.
The UK average for a by-election is thought to be £323,254, but Clacton might cost less due to the smaller size of the boundaries restricting the logistical operations.
Clacton also has a lower number of voters (75,959) compared to Makerfield (76,517).