[Boiler]

Thing is, if he loses his seat he'll spin those investigations as baseless attacks upon him as he'll be exonerated in his mind.

[Crabcakes]

Apart from anything else, given he’s the incumbent, has been in politics for 20+ years, comes from a city banking background, and is blowing a load of taxpayer money on a needless by-election entirely engineered for his own political gain rather than any public benefit whatsoever, the sheer absurdity of Farage still claiming to be the “people” side of People vs Establishment is staggering.

It’s as ludicrous as Balliol College trying to pass itself off as a recently established upstart polytechnic.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Seems that the investigation definitely would restart.

[mattomac]

There is an intert personality called big Rob who you assume would be racist but is suprinsgly for cultures.

Though being about 30 stone might rule him out.

[Watchman]

Doesn't he have to apply for the Chiltern Hundreds

[mattomac]

Politician Cunt arranges Political Stunt.

[Abernathy]

Apparently, Restore UK (Lowe’s nutjob party) has indicated that it will not be standing a candidate in the Clacton by-election. The other main parties are as yet, being pretty equivocal about whether they will stand or not. Even Badenoch has not (yet) indicated that the Tories will stand. The Greens’ Deputy leader seemed to indicate that his party would stand, though they may quickly reconsider that.

I have to admit, the prospect of the whole stunt falling flat and polling day in Clacton ending up being Fargle vs Count Binface (and even better, Binface winning) seems to me to be an attractive one.

I think there are two possible routes this could go down : Farage stands and is ignored by all the serious candidates, bar Binface. He is returned to parliament, and the Commons Standards Committee resumes its paused investigation into Fargle , which in all likelihood could mean a second by-election, in which gawd knows what might happen.

OR, The Clacton by-election proceeds, and is contested by Labour, the Tories, the Lib Dems and the Greens. Tactical voting prevails a la Makerfield, and the Tories defeat Fargle (it’s a stretch too far to imagine Clactonians voting Labour).

In other stunts news, Reform UK has apparently offered to meet the costs of holding the Clacton by-election. That ain’t going to happen (and Reform knows that).

[Samanfur]

I'll just leave this here:

[Abernathy]

Doesn't he have to apply for the Chiltern Hundreds

Either that, or for the stewardship of the Manor of Northstead. Depends on whichever was last used by a resigning MP (would have been Josh Simons in Makerfield). One of those weird parliamentary traditions that says MPs cannot actually resign their seats, so need to automatically disqualify themselves by applying for one of two “offices of the crown”. Chiltern Hundreds and Manor of Northstead are maintained for this sole purpose.

[Samanfur]

We're going to need a smaller nanoviolin:

[Rosvanian]

"everything was going to be lovely"

What a fucking mug.

Staggering.

[Boiler]

Indeed: see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c892npw2jkvo

Isn't Frinton the place that wants to live in the 1950s?

[Youngian]

Does Farage think a by-election win is a Get out of Jail Free card? I don't have to obey the same rules and laws as other MPs because of votes.
I'm leaning towards the David Davis precedent, ignore him and let Farage do battle with Binface and a struggling comic dressed as a wizard promoting his Edinburgh fringe show.

[Abernathy]

David Miliband isn’t going to get selected, or win. It needs a blue collar version of Martin Bell.

Apparently some think that Carol Vorderman may be persuaded.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

FFC has offered to pay for the by-election...