British politician Nigel Farage has comfortably won a local by-election on Friday after all the main political parties boycotted the vote in protest.

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The former MEP had declared a "resounding victory" but did not attend the official result announcement that pitted him against Count Binface and a list of independent candidates.

Farage picked up over 22,000 votes in an election that saw a 44% turnout.

"The verdict is in and it is a convincing and overwhelming win," he said as supporters chanted his name at an event in Essex, which was broadcast on X.

Investigation resumes

Farage triggered the vote by resigning his parliamentary seat in the constituency of Clacton in the county of Essex, which he had held since 2024, over an investigation into his finances

The investigation was temporarily suspended during the election period, but now that Farage is once again a member of the House of Commons, it will resume, with experts predicting a decision in September after the summer recess.

The investigation by the parliamentary sleaze watchdog is examining allegations that he failed to declare a £5m (€5.85m) financial gift from crypto investor Christopher Harborne.

The Commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, will now complete the inquiry and decide whether the Code of Conduct was breached.

If a breach is found, Greenberg can resolve minor cases through an apology or refer more serious findings to the Committee on Standards, which can recommend sanctions, including suspension from the Commons.

Farage denies any wrongdoing.

The vote had been shunned by Britain's main political parties, including the ruling Labour Party, as a stunt by the Reform UK leader - touted as a potential prime minister - to dodge scrutiny of his dealings.

That left candidates such as Binface, the alter ego of comedian Jon Harvey, to seize the spotlight.

"What an upside-down world it is, where Count Binface is now the candidate of the establishment," Farage said in his speech.

He said he would not attend the count, where candidates traditionally gather for the declaration of results, saying Essex Police had warned him that an "organised campaign to disrupt and degrade the result" was planned.

The BBC reported that this was not true, quoting Essex Police in a statement that read: "We have a proportionate and robust policing operation to ensure the safety and security of all participants in the count."

Acting returning officer Ian Davidson said election officials had worked with police to ensure the process was "completed safely and securely", adding there was "no reason not to proceed with the count process at this time".

Binface took to social media after the result to declare himself the winner "of the candidates that bothered to turn up for the results" and, in a video, suggested Farage had been "humiliated" as one in four people in Clacton prefer him to the Reform leader.

Turnout reached about 44.7 percent, down from 59 percent in the 2024 general election.

A record 33 fringe candidates, including Binface, stood in the vote, with some of the longest ballot papers in the country's history seen being unfolded at Clacton Leisure Centre, where the count was held.

Some assessed Farage's election gambit had backfired after his party had topped national polls for 18 months before falling behind recently.

"Farage's plan to turn this by-election into a serious political battle failed," Queen Mary University of London politics professor Stijn van Kessel told AFP, noting the resulting spectacle "makes Farage look rather silly".

The latest polls produced by YouGov show Labor on 24%, narrowly ahead of Reform on 22%, with the Conservatives on 21%.

Police probe

Meanwhile, London police have confirmed starting an investigation last year into donations to Reform before the 2024 election.

UK media have reported that the police probe concerns undeclared financial support from longtime Farage ally and convicted fraudster George Cottrell and his mother.