British Politics Guide

[bradrn]

Why are no serious parties running a candidate against Farage in this by-election? Does he have such an overwhelming advantage that nobody else could plausibly win?

No, that’s parroting Farage’s own line. They’re doing it because Farage is a pathetic attention-seeker who called this useless by-election purely as an excuse to pick a fight with the major parties, and they’re quite rightly not taking the bait. Let him make himself look foolish with Count Binface.

(Also because there will probably be another by-election once the Standards Committee reports back, and they’re saving their energy for that one.)

EDIT: consider also the possible outcomes. If the other parties were running a victory could be spun as positive for Farage. This way the only possible outcomes for him are neutral (he wins again) or negative (the joke candidates take a significant vote share).

[Travis B.]

Why are no serious parties running a candidate against Farage in this by-election? Does he have such an overwhelming advantage that nobody else could plausibly win? Failing that, it seems daft not to mount some resistance. Defeating him in the election would deal quite a blow to his plans, if only until he finds another opportunity to enter parliament.

The seat for which Farage was running was a very safe seat for him and he specifically gave it up to turn the resulting by-election into a sort of 'vote of confidence' for himself versus 'teh Establishment' -- and to delay the ethics investigation in Parliament against himself. It is an obvious stunt. and it is best for the major parties that they sit it out and let him make a fool of himself. If he wins the ethics investigation will resume, resulting in him most likely being ejected from the House of Commons, after which there will be another by-election which the major parties will contest.

[Raphael]

If he wins the ethics investigation will resume, resulting in him most likely being ejected from the House of Commons,

Not sure - is that legally possible?

[Travis B.]

If he wins the ethics investigation will resume, resulting in him most likely being ejected from the House of Commons,

Not sure - is that legally possible?

That is what everyone expects will happen, which is a major part of why they are not contesting this by-election.

[malloc]

If he wins the ethics investigation will resume, resulting in him most likely being ejected from the House of Commons,

Not sure - is that legally possible?

Quite and even if legally possible, there is no guarantee that they will follow through with that. Plenty of people thought all the investigations and court cases facing Trump would sink him yet somehow he prevailed against all of them. It seems unnervingly possible that Farage will enjoy the same level of impunity.

[bradrn]

If he wins the ethics investigation will resume, resulting in him most likely being ejected from the House of Commons,

Not sure - is that legally possible?

Quite and even if legally possible, there is no guarantee that they will follow through with that. Plenty of people thought all the investigations and court cases facing Trump would sink him yet somehow he prevailed against all of them. It seems unnervingly possible that Farage will enjoy the same level of impunity.

The US and UK legal and political systems are not the same. If the ethics investigation finds against him he almost certainly will be expelled. Farage is not President (indeed the UK has no president) and he has no impunity nor immunity.

[Lērisama]

Not sure - is that legally possible?

Quite and even if legally possible, there is no guarantee that they will follow through with that. Plenty of people thought all the investigations and court cases facing Trump would sink him yet somehow he prevailed against all of them. It seems unnervingly possible that Farage will enjoy the same level of impunity.

The US and UK legal and political systems are not the same. If the ethics investigation finds against him he almost certainly will be expelled. Farage is not President (indeed the UK has no president) and he has no impunity nor immunity.

While this is true, you can't be expelled from the Commons directly¹, to my knowledge. The ethics committee recommends a period of suspension from parliament, which the Commons as a whole approves². If this suspension is longer than 10 days³, a recall petition is started, which requires 10% of eligible voters in Clacton to sign in order to call a by-election in which Farage can still stand, although most people resign, or lose the support of their party, and so don't participate, and the only person who has participated so far lost.

¹ You can become ineligible to be an MP through imprisonment, becoming a Lord, or taking an office of profit under the crown (excepting ministers, as that got too tedious)
² I've never known the Commons not to approve the recommendations of the relevant committees.
³ Which it will be

[bradrn]

Quite and even if legally possible, there is no guarantee that they will follow through with that. Plenty of people thought all the investigations and court cases facing Trump would sink him yet somehow he prevailed against all of them. It seems unnervingly possible that Farage will enjoy the same level of impunity.

The US and UK legal and political systems are not the same. If the ethics investigation finds against him he almost certainly will be expelled. Farage is not President (indeed the UK has no president) and he has no impunity nor immunity.

While this is true, you can't be expelled from the Commons directly¹, to my knowledge. The ethics committee recommends a period of suspension from parliament, which the Commons as a whole approves². If this suspension is longer than 10 days³, a recall petition is started, which requires 10% of eligible voters in Clacton to sign in order to call a by-election in which Farage can still stand, although most people resign, or lose the support of their party, and so don't participate, and the only person who has participated so far lost.

¹ You can become ineligible to be an MP through imprisonment, becoming a Lord, or taking an office of profit under the crown (excepting ministers, as that got too tedious)
² I've never known the Commons not to approve the recommendations of the relevant committees.
³ Which it will be

I see — thanks for clarifying the process.

[alice]

If he wins the ethics investigation will resume, resulting in him most likely being ejected from the House of Commons,

Not sure - is that legally possible?

Quite and even if legally possible, there is no guarantee that they will follow through with that. Plenty of people thought all the investigations and court cases facing Trump would sink him yet somehow he prevailed against all of them. It seems unnervingly possible that Farage will enjoy the same level of impunity.

Not in Britain. mate. F*r!g£ is a lot less credible a figure than Tr(mp, and there's no way the political system would let him off. Remember that B!r+s was ejected in a similar manner, and he was a lot more popular.

[Lērisama]

Not in Britain. mate. F*r!g£ is a lot less credible a figure than Tr(mp, and there's no way the political system would let him off. Remember that B!r+s was ejected in a similar manner, and he was a lot more popular.

For some reason reading this I thought of a different type of name obfuscation, where you replace the vowels with the corresponding X-Sampa, obviously choosing the most confusing symbols you can get away with, so we could have F{rV:g∅, TrVmp and BQrIs¹

¹ Looks a bit too sane. Maybe fake a weak vowel merger and go for BQr@s.

[Richard W]

The Monster Raving Loony Party reportedly has 3 candidates standing for Clacton!

[bradrn]

The Monster Raving Loony Party reportedly has 3 candidates standing for Clacton!

I mean, it is in the name…

[alice]

The Monster Raving Loony Party reportedly has 3 candidates standing for Clacton!

I mean, it is in the name…

One for "Monster", one for "Raving", and one for "Loony". I think it's the first time they've realised their name's potential.

[alice]

N*g$l F"r)g]'s Day of Destiny is upon us and is, as ever, rewriting the rules of British politics. There are so many candidates¹ that they couldn't find a platform big or strong enough to accommodate them all, so they'll have to stand in alphabetical order on the floor of a sports centre, and only the winner will be allowed to give a speech.

¹34, a record. Imagine each of them giving a two-minute speech; it would last for over an hour.

[lëtzeshark]

On a minor aside, what's funny to me is that the news is making a deal that the ballot paper is a meter/metre in length, and here I remember the ballot paper for the local election I voted in when I lived in the Netherlands: it was massive, and you also only vote for a single candidate. (Same for most Dutch elections; they're trialing in a few places a shorter ballot format, but, still...)

More: show

Here's a representative image of the ballot paper for the last national election in the voting booth.

While this is true, you can't be expelled from the Commons directly¹, to my knowledge.

Erskine May: Parliamentary Practice (the guide to parliamentary procedure in many Commonwealth countries) suggests that there is a mechanism to expel MPs, but it's not been used since 1948 (and probably for very good reason).

[Raphael]

Now Farage has said he won't attend the declaration.

[Raphael]

So, 63 percent for Farage. Given the opposition, I guess you could argue that the fact that it wasn't 70 or 80 percent is kind of embarrassing.

[zompist]

Count Binface Party Count Binface

26.9%

I think we know who the real winner is.

[Lērisama]

Count Binface Party Count Binface

26.9%

I think we know who the real winner is.

If you don't count people who can't even be bothered to show up, he did win.

[Raphael]

Commoner Binface beat Count Binface!

It was closer than expected, though. Might mean that Commoner Binface has his work cut out for him.

*********************

Only partly related: Congratulations, People of Britain! Not only have you become an Islamic country, but you've also managed it to abolish your Monarchy in the process! Thankfully, the Prime Minister of Israel has figured it all out, and can tell you all about it:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/ ... ear-weapon