A councillor has criticised the Clacton by-election triggered by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage for being a “huge and needless waste”.
Nigel Farage announced he would be resigning as an MP, triggering the by-election in Clacton, where he confirmed he would be standing.
He remains under investigation by Parliament’s standards commissioner for not declaring a £5 million gift he received from Christopher Harbourne, a British cryptocurrency investor, before his election.
Nigel Farage said during his announcement that he has “done nothing wrong” and the investigation into him by the parliamentary standards watchdog is “being used as a political tool”.
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He said: “I have decided that the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions. And that is why I will be putting my name forward to stand in this by-election. I will fight to win.”
Councillor Sara Armstrong said voters deserved better and that the move was a waste of money.
Cllr Armstrong said: “People in Clacton thought they voted for change, instead they got more self-serving political drama. My heart breaks for them.
“As a councillor living in a coastal town, I see first-hand the pressures families face with the cost of living, the housing crisis, and simply making ends meet.
“I understand why some people put their faith in Reform—they thought they were getting a representative who would fight their corner and deliver real change.
“Triggering a by-election only to stand in it again is a huge and needless waste of taxpayers’ money at a time when families are counting every penny.
“The era of the self-serving politician needs to end and it needs to end now.
“People deserve genuine, hardworking representatives who put service before self-interest, communities before headlines, and action before political theatre.
“There is too much at stake for too many.
“Our country needs less drama and more action.
“Residents deserve hope, honesty, and real change from people who roll up their sleeves, work hard every day and never lose sight of who they were elected to serve.”
Labour, the Conservatives, the Lib Dems, Restore Britain, and the Green Party have all said they will not stand candidates in the by-election.
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