Voters in Clacton-on-Sea go to the polls on Thursday in a by-election triggered by the resignation of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, the sitting MP, in July. The contest has been widely framed nationally as a two-horse race between Farage and satirical candidate Count Binface, with pollsters suggesting the joke candidate could win as much as 20 per cent of the vote, but residents and candidates on the ground say this narrative misrepresents a far more complex local picture.

A record 34 candidates are standing, eight more than the previous record set at Haltemprice and Howden in 2008, despite none of the major political parties fielding a contender. While some candidates, such as Nick The Incredible Flying Brick of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, are novelty entrants, others are running serious campaigns, including independents Joseph 77 and Gerry Smith. Local residents, including 37-year-old Amy Smith, said the town and nearby Jaywick — rated England's most deprived area for four consecutive years — feel neglected and reduced to a punchline, with many wishing the major parties and Farage himself had engaged more seriously with the constituency's needs.