Rob Pownall, who stood against Andy Burnham in Makerfield, has dropped out of the Clacton by-election, dismissing the Nigel Farage-triggered contest as a ‘circus’
A candidate who famously dressed as a fox to battle Andy Burnham in Makerfield has dropped out of Nigel Farage’s Clacton ‘circus’ – saying the by-election has got too silly.
Rob Pownall, who picked up 18 votes in the contest that brought Mr Burnham back to Parliament, said it is impossible to take Mr Farage’s race seriously. Wildlife campaigner Mr Pownall had planned to stand after the Reform UK leader said he was triggering a by-election in a surprise announcement last week.
But no other parties opted to field a candidate, meaning Mr Farage’s main rival is likely to be parody candidate Count Binface. Mr Pownall wrote on his blog: “Farage can be the ringleader of his new circus, we’re not here to be one of his performers.”
The Reform leader attempted to frame his decision to step down and seek re-election as a “people versus the establishment” contest. He had been facing a Parliamentary standards investigation over a £5million ‘gift’ from crypto tycoon Christopher Harborne which he did not declare.
But Labour, the Lib Dems, Conservatives and Restore all said they would play no part, with Kemi Badenoch accusing Mr Farage of having a “hissy fit”.
Mr Pownall has previously stood in Makerfield and Edinburgh Central as a Protect the Wild candidate – campaigning to end hunting, shooting and badger culling. He initially announced he would be on the ballot paper in Clacton, but explaining his change of heart said: “What made Makerfield and Edinburgh Central different is that they were real elections, contested seriously by every major party, where our campaign was one voice among a genuine democratic process. Clacton isn’t that.”
Warning that no one was taking the by-election seriously he said: “Whilst we like attention, British wildlife protection is a serious issue, and I take this cause incredibly seriously. I have to weigh up the point at which being part of something stops helping that cause and starts undermining it.
“Being lumped in on a stage alongside a lineup of people treating this as a punchline isn’t the platform we set out to find, and I don’t think it’s the one that best serves the animals we’re trying to protect.”
Damning polling seen by The Mirror reveals 52% of voters think Mr Farage decided to fight the by-election in Clacton to divert attention away from a standards probe into the large amount of cash he accepted in 2024. Just a quarter of respondents did not believe he is trying to avoid scrutiny, polling firm Survation found.
Even among current Reform voters, a third think Mr Farage is attempting to swerve questions about his finances. The Reform leader faces a humiliating battle after all the main parties refused to take part in the “circus” contest, clearing the way for parody candidate Count Binface to be his main rival.
Veronica Hawking, Campaigns Director at 38 Degrees, said: “The British public don’t suffer fools gladly. They see this by-election for what it is: an attempt by Nigel Farage to avoid scrutiny and accountability that all our politicians should be held to. Farage says he represents the people but not many people get £5m gifts from billionaire friends. It’s time to clean up politics for good.”
Mr Farage was being investigated by Parliament’s standards committee after it emerged he had accepted a large sum from Thailand-based Christopher Harborne shortly before the 2024 general election. He did not declare the money, which he insists was an unconditional personal gift.
Parliamentary rules say gifts and donations in the 12 months before becoming an MP. If he is found to have broken rules, Mr Farage could potentially face a suspension and a possible by-election. The investigation is expected to resume if he returns to Parliament after the August 13 contest.
Mr Farage could face a second standards probe over allegations that convicted fraudster George Cottrell – an ally of the party leader – provided benefits including security, drivers, staff and accommodation. The Lib Dems last week called on the commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, to investigate following reports in The Times.
Mr Cottrell’s lawyers said they dispute reports of financial assistance to Mr Farage. On top of that it was reported last week that two £250,000 donations by Mr Cottrell’s mum Fiona are being investigated by the Met Police to determine the original source of the funds.
Two people have been interviewed under caution but no arrests have been made since it was referred to police by the Electoral Commission last Thursday. Damian Lyons Lowe, founder of Survation, said: “The public may be split on whether Farage should re-stand, but they are not split on why he is doing it. Twice as many voters see this as an escape from scrutiny than a genuine appeal to Clacton, and even among Leave voters he fails to win the benefit of the doubt.”
The Survation polling, of 2,058 adults, found 50% of people who intend to vote for Reform thought Mr Farage was not trying to dodge scrutiny. Worryingly for the right-wing party, 31% of his parties believe he was.
On Tuesday last week Mr Farage announced he was stepping down as an MP to contest a by-election in his Clacton constituency. He claimed to be the victim of an establishment stitch-up and said voters could decide his fate – despite the standards probe being ongoing.
Count Binface is expected to be the main challenger to Mr Farage. Polling by Ipsos last week found 33% of Brits want the parody candidate – real name Jonathan Harvey – to win, compared with 21% for Mr Farage. Nearly a third said neither deserve to win, and 13% are undecided.
Mr Farage’s finances have come under increased finances in recent weeks. Desmog has calculated he has earned £2.3million on top of his £98,599 salary since entering Parliament. Reform UK has been contacted for comment.

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