{"success":true,"data":{"id":"6c3f59a4-bed2-4e9c-ad45-9536d4c94384","title":"Why Farage going ‘full conspiracy theory’ is not impressing voters in Clacton","summary":"US Edition Change Support Now × \"Clear search box\") Custom Search Sort by Relevance Date NewsNews World CupWorld Cup SportsSports CultureCulture LifestyleLifestyle MoneyMoney TravelTravel PremiumPremium More More Thank you for registering Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the si...","content":"US Edition Change\n\nSupport Now\n\n[×](javascript:void(0) \"Clear search box\")\n\nCustom Search\n\nSort by\n\nRelevance\n\nDate\n\n*   News[News](https://www.independent.co.uk/us)\n\n*   World Cup[World Cup](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup)\n\n*   Sports[Sports](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport)\n\n*   Culture[Culture](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment)\n\n*   Lifestyle[Lifestyle](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style)\n\n*   Money[Money](https://www.independent.co.uk/us/money)\n\n*   Travel[Travel](https://www.independent.co.uk/us/travel)\n\n*   Premium[Premium](https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium)\n\nMore\n\nMore\n\n### Thank you for registering\n\nPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in\n\nNEWS ANALYSIS\n\n# Why Farage going ‘full conspiracy theory’ is not impressing voters in Clacton\n\n## Political editor [David Maddox](https://www.independent.co.uk/author/david-maddox) has been handed a letter Nigel Farage sent to voters in Clacton explaining why he called a by-election - one constituent called it ‘a self pitying diatribe’\n\nSaturday 18 July 2026 12:53 BST\n\n*   Copy link  \n*   Bookmark  \n*   [Comments](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-clacton-byelection-conspiracy-theory-b3016745.html#comments-area)Go to comments  \n\n## Bookmark popover\n\nRemoved from bookmarks\n\nClose popover\n\nPowered By\n\n10 Sec\n\n17.2K\n\n1\n\nClacton residents reveal whether they still back Nigel Farage after resignation\n\nNext video in\n\nNext\n\nKEEP WATCHING\n\nWhat do Nigel Farage’s Clacton constituents think about his resignation?\n\n### Your support helps us to tell the story\n\nFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.\n\nAt such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.\n\nThe Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.\n\n**Your support makes all the difference.**\n\n[Nigel Farage](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/nigel-farage-reform-arrest-tweet-threat-b3015429.html \"Man arrested after threatening to shoot Nigel Farage in social media post\") has, in the words of one constituent in [Clacton](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/reform-zia-yusuf-farage-ann-widdecombe-death-b3015430.html \"Reform accused of hypocrisy after Yusuf claims extreme criticism of his party is ‘incitement’ to violence\"), “gone full conspiracy theory” in explaining to voters there why he has called his surprise by-election.\n\nA look at the local Facebook pages and other forums shows that the contest against [Count Binface](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-andy-burnham-victoria-starmer-prime-minister-b3015338.html \"Keir Starmer pledges ‘wholehearted support’ to Andy Burnham in final PMQs\") – and more than 30 other candidates – with all the other main parties boycotting “a fake by-election” is not giving Mr Farage the full support and acclaim he may have hoped for in the Essex town and villages he hopes to represent again.\n\nIn his letter explaining why he has called a by-election, [Mr Farage](https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/kemi-badenoch-keir-starmer-pmqs-andy-burnham-prime-minister-b3016141.html \"Kemi Badenoch and Tony Blair have never had so much in common\")has clearly decided not to hold back in his claims that he and his friends are victims of a grand conspiracy involving Labour, the establishment and the media.\n\nIn what one constituent described as “a self pitying diatribe”, he wrote: “Since I was elected the Labour government, their friends in the media and the establishment in this country have done everything they can to destroy me, my family, the party, our donors and the millions of people like you who support us.”\n\nopen image in gallery\n\nReform UK leader Nigel Farage has written to Clacton voters explaining why he has called a by-election (Gareth Fuller/PA)(PA Wire)\n\nHe went on: “They have vilified us. They have sought to intimidate us. They have made life harder for those around us.”\n\nUndo\n\nUndo\n\n[](https://in.blissy.com/skinhair-taboola)[Study Shows Surprising Link Between Aging & your Pillowcase Blissy | [Sponsored](https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&utm_source=eslmedia-theindependent&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=alternating-thumbnails-stream-1x4:Mid%20Article%20Thumbnails%20II:)[Sponsored](https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&utm_source=eslmedia-theindependent&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=alternating-thumbnails-stream-1x4:Mid%20Article%20Thumbnails%20II:)](https://in.blissy.com/skinhair-taboola \"Study Shows Surprising Link Between Aging & your Pillowcase\")\n\nUndo\n\n[](https://xeviourl.cc/6b0996b2-5fd1-4bc6-a6a6-8e4077a061f3)[Beauty Update: Women Over 50 Are Trying This Mask Before Clinic Treatments Mid-Life-Journal | [Sponsored](https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&utm_source=eslmedia-theindependent&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=alternating-thumbnails-stream-1x4:Mid%20Article%20Thumbnails%20II:)[Sponsored](https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&utm_source=eslmedia-theindependent&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=alternating-thumbnails-stream-1x4:Mid%20Article%20Thumbnails%20II:)](https://xeviourl.cc/6b0996b2-5fd1-4bc6-a6a6-8e4077a061f3 \"Beauty Update: Women Over 50 Are Trying This Mask Before Clinic Treatments\")\n\nUndo\n\nHe claimed the media/ establishment conspiracy has “made it increasingly difficult to provide the security my family needs while at the same time publishing stories that make security even more necessary.”\n\nIn an oblique reference to his row with Sky News doorstepping him, he alleged his home and family “have been targeted” and declared “I have had had enough!”\n\nBut the Reform UK leader did not stop there and instead waded into the weeds of a much deeper conspiracy.\n\n“To make things worse the establishment is now seeking to rewrite the rules of politics itself.”\n\nHe alleged that votes for 16-year-olds, attempts to postpone council elections in Essex because of a local government reorganisation and change donation rules banning foreign donations and crypto currency are all designed to “stop Reform”.\n\nThere is no mention of the Thailand based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne or the £5 million donation he gave the reform UK leader which went undeclared with the parliamentary authorities and Electoral Commission and is now subject to an investigation.\n\nIt also failed to mention the convicted criminal [George Cottrell](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/george-cottrell-farage-starmer-mandelson-reform-b3009668.html) who was an ever present in Clacton during the general election and part of Mr Farage’s inner circle for more than a decade.\n\nAlthough the reference to “friends” may have meant “Posh George” as Mr Cottrell is known as.\n\nBut Mr Farage claimed: “Week after week politicians and the media have worked together to plant negative stories with the intention of suspending me as your MP. Their aim is to force a by-election so the people of Clacton will vote against me.”\n\nThis is why he claims he has asked for an early by-election, while not mentioning that they may have another contest soon if he is suspended.\n\nBut he concluded: “This is a contest between the people of Clacton and the entire political establishment.”\n\nMr Farage has found plenty of support for his narrative from Frinton, the very well to do north of the constituency, to Jaywick, the much more socially deprived south designated one of the poorest areas in the UK. But there is also a lot of push back.\n\nConstituents have been commenting online about it but not always in the way Mr Farage may have hoped for.\n\nIn one local Facebook group, a voter fact checked the letter using AI.\n\nFarage is up against Count Binface(PA)\n\nThey said: “Several of the claims are either false or rhetorical dressed up as fact.”\n\nOn donations and the delay of the Essex election they noted: “There is no evidence [they were] specifically targeting Reform.”\n\nOn Mr Farage suggesting the establishment “cannot beat us fairly at the ballot box”, they noted: “This is opinion not fact and it’s aging badly. Recent Ipsos polling shows Reform’s lead over Labour narrowing sharply.”\n\nThey also note that Mr Farage falsely claimed the investigation into him is being run by “the Labour government” when “the actual investigation is being run by the Independent Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.”\n\nThey also noted that the reference to 350 poll leads by Mr Farage is “being used to imply invincibility at exactly the moment his actual polling lead is shrinking.”\n\nAnother constituent got more than 3,000 likes for a suggestion: “MP stands for missing person. Farage is throwing a ball for dogs and we are the dog.”","source_name":"The Independent","source_url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-clacton-byelection-conspiracy-theory-b3016745.html","url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-clacton-byelection-conspiracy-theory-b3016745.html","author":"David Maddox","author_name":"David Maddox","published_at":"2026-07-18T11:53:40.000Z","publication_date":"2026-07-18T11:53:40.000Z","image_url":"https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/07/15/15/41877ae2125958a3bd93ecd75eba89dcY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzg0MjExNDMw-2.85221085.jpg","category":"politics","topic":"politics","tags":[],"political_bias":null,"bias_score":null,"confidence_score":null,"credibility_score":null,"factual_quality":null,"reading_time":7,"word_count":1205,"view_count":0,"breaking":false,"breaking_news":false,"ai_analysis":null,"fact_check_status":"unverified","archive_status":"hot"}}