Nigel Farage has been re-elected to the Commons but did not appear at the declaration amid claims of a security threat.
The Reform UK leader won the Clacton by-election with 63.3% (22,239) of the vote, but said he would not attend to hear the result. He also cancelled a victory speech without explanation.
His victory was announced to near-silence at a leisure centre as most Reform UK party members also did not attend the declaration.
A spokesman for the party said: “Essex Police advised Nigel not to attend the count tonight due to a credible threat against him.”
None of the other main parties were represented among the 34 candidates. Count Binface, the novelty candidate, won 9,455 votes, regarded as a protest. There was a 44% turnout in what the main parties described as a publicity stunt by Mr Farage to deflect attention from the allegations over his receipt of funding from a crypto trader.
Mr Farage told supporters at a nearby party: “I’m sad to say that after 33 years of being a candidate in active politics, I’ve been advised tonight by Essex Police that there is an organised campaign to disrupt and degrade the result.”
He added: “I’m damned if I’m going to stand on a stage having won a resounding victory, a ringing endorsement of all that I’ve tried to fight for and you’ve tried to fight for and be demeaned and humiliated by nobodies.”
However, Essex Police did not confirm it had advised any candidate to stay away from the count.
In a statement Essex police said: “We have a proportionate and robust policing operation to ensure the safety and security of all participants in the count.”
Acting returning officer Ian Davidson said in a statement: “We have worked closely with Essex Police colleagues to ensure the election process is completed safely and securely, as is evident from the level of security we have in place here today.
“This includes a robust policing operation throughout the day and including at the count. It is a candidate’s decision whether or not to attend the count.”
Mr Farage resigned his seat last month after mounting scrutiny over his finances, including a £5 million gift from a British-Thai cryptocurrency billionaire.
The Reform UK leader was being investigated by Daniel Greenberg, the parliamentary standards commissioner, over whether he should have declared the gift as a benefit.
The investigation was suspended after Mr Farage’s resignation but will now resume. If the commissioner finds against him he could face a formal inquiry by the standards committee and ultimately be suspended from parliament, potentially triggering another by-election.
Before the result was announced he said: “Look, this is an overwhelming endorsement of me. I have had enough of being judged by mainstream media, being called a criminal.
In a veiled dig at the SNP, he said: “Do you know, if I made one sin, if I haven’t filled in a piece of paper, I’ve broken no law, I’ve broken no tax law, I’ve taken no public money, I don’t even own a motorhome.”
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