𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Nigel Farage’s by-election could turn out to be a “damp squib” after other major parties said they will not contest it, a polling expert has said.

Asked whether he thinks the vote is a “gamble that will pay off”, Professor Sir John Curtice told BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast programme: “Well, it depends on what you think he’s trying to achieve.

“I think certainly his hope that he would have a by-election in which he would be taking on all of the other political parties, that therefore it would be quite a very substantial political circus that would receive a great deal of attention, it looks as though that’s not going to happen, because it’s a bit like somebody saying, ‘come on, let’s go and play football’, but then none of the other kids are willing to play.

“And, to that extent, at least, it will probably result in much the same relatively damp squib that it was in Haltemprice and Howden.

“That said, two things – of course Mr Farage will be arguing, it just goes to show the other parties are afraid of me, they’re not willing to challenge me.

“It does mean he’s got himself back in the headlines. Reform are still ahead in the opinion polls, but with the slight boost for Labour in the wake of the resignation of Keir Starmer, and the fact that support for Reform has been edging down slowly. He would be hoping that the publicity will help to push him up.

“But this second thing, however, and I think this is one of the risks he’s taken, is that given he is saying I want the people of Clacton to judge my actions, and particularly two controversial sources of support that have been the subject of recent media attention – presumably he’s going to be willing to talk about this during the by-election.”