Nigel Farage finally wins seat in Parliament as Reform claims historic 4 seats
Reform UK wins four seats so far on historic night, with Lee Anderson, Nigel Farage, Rupert Lowe and Reform UK chairman Richard Tice becoming MPs.
Election 2024: Nigel Farage wins seat in Clacton-on-Sea
Nigel Farage has finally won a seat in Parliament on a historic night for Reform UK, as the party claimed four victories.
The Reform UK leader, who claimed a memorable victory in Clacton-on-Sea, hailed "truly extraordinary" results after the party's popularity skyrocketed and the Conservative vote collapsed.
The Brexit champion secured 21,225 votes, compared with Conservative Giles Watling's 12,820.
Lee Anderson became the party's first elected representative and was swiftly followed by Mr Farage, former Southampton FC chairman Rupert Lowe and Reform UK chairman Richard Tice.
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Speaking after his thumping victory, Mr Farage said: "What is interesting is, there's no enthusiasm for Labour, there's no enthusiasm for Starmer whatsoever. In fact, about half of the vote is simply an anti-Conservative vote.
"This Labour government will be in trouble very, very quickly and we will now be targeting Labour votes. We're coming for Labour, be in no doubt about that.
"Believe me folks, this is just the first step of something that is going to stun all of you."
Mr Watling won the seat at the 2019 General Election with a whopping majority of 24,702 votes.
But Mr Farage, in his acceptance speech, warned of a growing disillusionment with the Conservative and Labour parties.He said: "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.
"But it's not just what we do in Parliament as a national party that matters, it's what we do out round the country.
"Getting 5,000 people in that room in Birmingham last week, the energy, the optimism, the enthusiasm, the belief that Westminster is just completely out of touch with ordinary people, says to me that my plan is to build a mass national movement over the course of the next few years, and hopefully, it will be big enough to challenge the general election properly in 2029."
Mr Anderson, who stood in 2019 as a Conservative, stormed to victory as the Tory vote in the Ashfield constituency collapsed.
The exit poll had predicted Nigel Farage's party would win 13 seats.
Speaking after his victory, Mr Anderson told reporters he was "delighted but not surprised" at winning the party's first 2024 seat.
"This is the capital of common sense, by the way - people speak their mind in this area, and they've had enough of the two mainstream parties," he said.
"The Reform Party, people like myself, Richard and Nigel speak the same language, in a different accent obviously, we speak the same language as the great people of Ashfield.
"So when this gig came up and I was asked to stand again for the Reform Party, it was a no-brainer to be honest with you.
"The two main parties in this country do not listen to the people of Ashfield and other places like this across the country - but they're going to listen now.
"As I said a few weeks back, there's going to be a reckoning on election night - there has been a seismic reckoning in Ashfield and throughout the country.
"Reform are picking up seats tonight - make no bones about it.
"Next week, I'll be on the green benches with Nigel and a few others, and we're going to give them hell."
Mr Tice said after winning in Boston and Skegness that his party had no money three years ago and was "sneered and mocked by so many".
He said: "Across the whole of England, Scotland and Wales, millions and millions of people have today voted for Reform UK.
"We're winning seats, we're coming second all over the country. It's truly remarkable."
Among the seats the party were predicted to win included Barnsley South, Barnsley North and Hartlepool, according to analysis.
But the Labour candidates in both Barnsley seats clung on. And Sir Keir Starmer's party also gained Hartlepool from the Conservatives.
But Reform UK secured breakthrough victories in Great Yarmouth and in Boston and Skegness.
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