Nigel Farage was elected to parliament on Friday, marking the emergence of his populist Reform UK as a new force in British politics squeezing the Conservative vote from the right wing.
Farage, a driving force behind Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, only entered the race last month, a move that caused shockwaves in a Conservative Party that was already polling far behind centre-left Labour. He was elected in Clacton, an Essex town that had one of highest ‘Leave’ votes in the Brexit referendum in 2016, with a 46% share of the vote, beating the Conservatives - among a handful of Reform candidates elected for the first time.
“There is a massive gap on the centre right of British politics and my job is to fill it, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do,” he said after being declared the winner.
“Believe me folks, this is just the first step of something that is going to stun all of you.”
Farage, a former member of the European Parliament, had failed in seven previous bids to be elected to Westminster. (Reuters)
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage reacts after being elected to become MP for Clacton at the Clacton count centre in Clacton-on-Sea, eastern England, early on Friday.
