Zia Yusuf has claimed that the boycott of a Clacton by-election by Labour, Tories, Greens, and LibDems is only because they know they would lose to Farage. He told BBC Breakfast:
“The legitimacy of those elections is not determined by which parties coordinate together to not stand candidates. It is very much down to the people of Clacton to make a determination. And I’m confident that they will return Nigel Farage to the House of Commons.
Why have Labour and the Tories decided not to stand? And the second question would be if they thought for a moment they had a chance of unseating the man who has been a thorn in their side for decades, the man whose political party has led 350 national opinion polls in a row. If they had a chance, if they thought they had a chance of unseating Nigel Farage, they would field a candidate. And this is what’s so extraordinary about this endless witch hunt.”
As it currently stands Nigel Farage will be versus ironic candidate Count Binface. Reform wants the writ moved today. Will Reeves grant the by-election in good time by appointing Farage out of the Commons?
Lord Khan in the Telegraph: “I hope, and I say this in a non-pompous way, that the public service I do will bring rewards in this world and the hereafter,” he says. “I’m hoping the work I do is earning me Brownie points.”