Reform chief Nigel Farage is facing comedy candidates including Count Binfance in next week’s Clacton by-election after major political rivals boycotted the contest

Nigel Farage’s Clacton by-election fight will cost taxpayers an estimated quarter of a million pounds, an official has suggested.

The Reform chief is facing comedy candidates including Count Binfance in next week’s vote after major political rivals boycotted the contest. They accused him last month of a political stunt last month for triggering the vote amid a Commons probe over a £5million gift received from a Thai-based crypto billionaire.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today, chief executive of Tendering district council, Ian Davidson, said the ballot paper with 34 candidates was just under a metre long.

He said: “We’ve got 34 candidates, which is the most number of candidates any parliamentary election has ever had. And the ballot paper is just under a metre a long. The cost of actually printing, running, and posting things like that is about four times the cost of the General Election where we had five candidates.”

Asked about the cost of running the by-election, he said: “We don’t yet - we’re anticipating around a quarter of a million, about £250,000.

“Most of that is paid by government, but not all. Tendering council will have to pay some of the cost because we’re having to put a lot of additional measures in place which are not what would be in the normal parliamentary by-election costs.”

He also said the council will not be using a stage to announce the results of the count - due to the sheer number of candidates.

When Mr Farage triggered the by-election last month, the Reform leader offered for his party to pay the cost of the contest but a Labour source dismissed the offer outright.

They told The Mirror: “A political figure paying for a by-election he is standing in would clearly undermine the independence of the democratic process. It’s baffling that he can’t see that."

They added: “He cannot just buy his way out of the mess he’s got himself into. This by-election will be conducted along the same rules as all elections are in the UK. Farage will have to take responsibility for making taxpayers pay the cost of his latest ego trip.”

Mr Farage resigned as an MP after facing mounting pressure over his personal finances, including an undeclared £5million gift he received from Christopher Harborne shortly before the 2024 general election.

He decided to throw in the towel to trigger a by-election in his seat, claiming that he would let the people of Clacton judge him, instead of the so-called establishment.

But all the major parties dismissed the plot as a desperate stunt and refused to stand candidates in the race.

Mr Farage's biggest rival is now Count Binface, the alter ego of Jonathan David Harvey, a British comedian, satirist and producer, who worked on hits like The Thick of It and Have I Got News For You.

He describes himself as an "intergalactic space warrior”, and the leader of the Recyclons from the planet Sigma IX. He claims to be over 5,900 years old, and has previously contested elections against Rishi Sunak, Andy Burnham and Boris Johnson.

Previously known as Lord Buckethead, he wrote on X: “Labour, Tories, Lib Dems and Greens: I demand you stand down in Clacton. I will be a unity candidate and pledge to build at least one affordable house.

“Nigel Farage says he wants The People versus the Establishment. So be it. Leave him to me.”