Police have challenged Nigel Farage’s claim that he was told to stay away from the Clacton by-election count because of a ‘credible threat’ to his safety.
Overnight, Farage was re-elected as MP for Clacton after winning just under two-thirds of the vote in Clacton, beating Count Binface.
But whilst Binface and the 32 other candidates were all present for the result declaration in the early hours of Friday morning, Farage stayed away.
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Speaking at a Reform event earlier in the night, Farage claimed he had been advised to stay away from the count by Essex Police.
He told those in attendance: “I have been advised tonight by Essex Police that there is an organised campaign to disrupt and degrade the result that will take place in a few hours time.
This was followed by a spokesman for Reform UK telling media outlets there was a “credible threat” against Farage at the count.
However, in the following hours Essex Police have contested Farage and Reform’s claims that they were contacted by the force.
A spokesperson for Essex Police told the BBC there were “no incidents or issues throughout yesterday and into the early hours of this morning”.
The official said a “full and robust policing operation” was in in place around the Clacton by-election and that it takes the safety and security of elected officials “extremely seriously”.
They continued: “The decision of candidates to attend or not attend the election count is a decision for individuals and their security teams, our role is to make sure our policing operation is sufficiently robust to ensure the safety of all.”
Multiple other outlets, such as the Press Association and Sky News, also reported that Essex Police did not advise any candidate not to attend the Clacton by-election count.
Farage may well have already revealed the real reason he didn’t attend the vote count though.
He said at the Reform event: “I am damned if I am going to stand on a stage, having won a resounding victory… and be demeaned and humiliated by nobodies.”
Quite simply, he couldn’t face any more embarrassment over the by-election that was entirely of his own making.