The State of It
The State of It
The Times
Nigel Farage's Clacton by-election gamble
25 minutes Posted Jul 7, 2026 at 4:44 pm.
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Show notes

A furious Nigel Farage has said he will ‘stick two fingers up to the establishment’ by resigning and then winning a by-election in Clacton. Kemi Badenoch has accused him of having a hissy fit and Andy Burnham has said it's a gimmick designed to distract from questions over undeclared gifts.

  • Will the Conservatives and Labour field candidates in the Clacton by-election?
  • Will a Reform UK victory in Clacton boost Nigel Farage's standing in the rest of the country?
  • And can Nigel Farage be suspended after a parliamentary standards investigation even if he wins the by-election?


Who is George Cottrell, aka Posh George? Listen to the series here podfollow.com/posh-george


Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times

Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times

Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times


Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson

Executive producer: Molly Guinness


Picture: Getty Images

Audio: Reuters


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