Farage byelection win a hollow victory

August 14, 2026 — 7:30pm

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The farcical byelection victory of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is a holdout from the days not so long ago when British politics seemed rotten to the core.

Farage won the seat of Clacton in 2024 general election but resigned last month following a growing storm over his repeated failures to declare gifts and donations, including a £5 million ($9.6 million) personal gift from billionaire Christopher Harborne that helped the MP buy a £1.4 million home. Farage proffered various explanations for the largesse – it was for his security, then a reward for Brexit.

But a parliamentary investigation into the possible breach of declaration rules stopped when he resigned as an MP. It may resume now he’s been re-elected, with the possibility of another........

© The Sydney Morning Herald