At long last, the week of the by-election triggered by Nigel Farage as a ‘people versus the establishment’ contest has finally arrived, and constituents are preparing to head to the polling station this Thursday to cast their votes for the next MP. Clacton has a history of becoming the epicentre of media storms after being the first constituency to elect UKIP in 2014, and the constituency to give Nigel Farage a seat in the House of Commons in 2024. Now, the seaside town finds itself in the headlines again in the wake of an unexpected by-election called by Nigel Farage in which his main opponent is novelty candidate – Count Binface.  

“It is a farce and a desperate distraction, and the people of Clacton deserve better,” then-chancellor Rachel Reeves posted on X. “But if Nigel wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won’t stop him.” However, Mace has discovered that the Clacton by-election has brought a welcome surge in tourism to the area which has been well received by Clacton businesses.  

“The by-election has been amazing for business. We’re doing absolutely incredibly.”

Zack, aged 24, has been living in Clacton for four years and has been working at Martello Lounge Cafe Bar for the past five months. Zack said: “Clacton itself has got so much busier over the past few weeks. The beach is full all the time, weekdays are full which they usually wouldn’t be, everyone is coming here. It is absolutely amazing for business. We’re doing absolutely incredibly.” 

For Zack, who has two young children, the change he wants to see in Clacton is to make it a more attractive destination during the winter months and to improve police presence. Zack said: “Clacton is such a weather-dependent town. If it’s not sunny, then no one’s here, and that affects business. If there are no customers, there is no service – it’s that simple really.” 

One aspect of Clacton that Mace observed was the notable number of young people working at businesses around the pier and elsewhere in the local area. Speaking on the opportunities available to young people Zack said: “It depends what you want to do as a job. For instance, there are loads of jobs in restaurants, hairdressers, barbers, and retail. But if you just studied a university course and got your degree, Clacton is not the best place for that.” 

“I’m trying to raise two kids in a place where I don’t feel comfortable walking homealone at night”

He added: “We need more police awareness. There’s always something going on around here. I’m trying to raise two kids in a place where I don’t feel comfortable walking home alone at night. The police down here are not good enough, they are not on it in the way they’re supposed to be.” 

Henry, aged 17, has lived in Clacton his entire life. He works at Clacton Kiosk, the oldest Kiosk in the area. Henry has also noticed that Clacton has been busier, he said: “It’s summer so it’s going to be busy, but it has been a lot busier. There are coaches coming down all the time.” 

“My parents own a business and Labour has messed it up a bit”

For Henry, he wants to see change for both himself and his parents. The 17-year-old said: “I want to see change for businesses; my parents own a business and Labour has messed it up a bit. I would like to see help for business owners and independent businesses with their taxes.” 

“For people my age, we need help with cheaper transport. It costs me a thousand pounds a year to get to school, and I think that is ridiculous. For a lot of my friends the main thing they complain about is just getting to college.” 

“It is a bit confusing for me because Clacton has never been this popular.”

Bo, a 16-year-old local who has lived in Clacton his whole life, has also noticed the surge in popularity for his hometown. Bo works at Rossi’s ice cream stand, and he said: “It has been a lot busier, I’ve seen a lot of journalists and a lot of cameras. It is a bit confusing for me because Clacton has never been this popular. It has been good for businesses because a lot of people are coming down to see Clacton, it has brought a lot more attention to us.” Regarding what the future MP for Clacton can do to help the constituency going forward, Bo says he wants to see a wider distribution of police officers in the area.  

There is optimism amongst some constituents that a Count Binface win could bring a lasting surge in tourism to Clacton-on-sea. Peter Robdrup, a self-described ‘Clactonian’, was a former Farage supporter but now is advocating for a Count Binface victory. He said: “If the protest vote is strong enough and we get Binface in, can you imagine the revenue we are going to get for Clacton-on-Sea, Frinton-on-sea, Jaywick, Walton-on-the-Naze, Kirby-le-Soken and St Osyth? People are going to flock to this area as tourists to see Binface. It is going to make a fortune for us.”