Clacton voters have their say on Nigel Farage and Reform UK

Hundreds of supporters came out to celebrate the start of Mr Farage’s General Election campaign in Clacton on Tuesday.

Annie Grint, who moved from Basildon to Jaywick five years ago, met Mr Farage at the Three Jays pub in the village and has already decided she will be voting for Reform UK on July 4.

The 67-year-old said: “I like him anyway. I was really pleased when he decided to run for this area.

“I’ve liked him since the Brexit Party and even going back as far as Ukip so I’m absolutely thrilled he’s joined this area because I think a lot of people are right behind him.”

Voter - Annie Grint, 67, will be voting for Nigel Farage (Image: Newsquest)

She admitted feeling “a little bit sorry” for Giles Watling who she predicts will lose his seat.

“It’s not necessarily his fault but more because of the general Conservative mess-up that they’ve been doing for the last few years,” she said.

“Once Boris was gone a lot of people lost the faith and I was one of them. They weren’t listening to the party members. Lots of people resigned from the party, which I did, and joined Reform.

“Giles Watling is a decent guy, but as for the country I think we’ve got to have a bit of Reform.”

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Frinton councillor Richard Everett, who left the Tories to serve as an independent councillor, is “backing Nigel Farage wholeheartedly”.

Supporter - Richard Everett is pleased Nigel Farage is standing for election in Clacton (Image: Newsquest)

He said: “I think it is really good that Nigel is coming here because he will actually put Clacton back on the map.”

Clacton resident Linda Hazelton is also supporting Mr Farage’s campaign.

Speaking to the Gazette outside the Moon and Starfish pub, she said: “The people of Clacton are so disappointed.

“Clacton is dying, we’ve watched our town die. We need somebody like Nigel to get us going again.

“My only concern is that he also needs a lot of other Reform MPs to get in, so they have strength in parliament. Nigel will absolutely walk it in, there is nobody else.”

Despite the overwhelming support at the rally for Mr Farage, a group of protesters stood outside Clacton Pier to oppose his bid to become an MP.

Gay Watton, from Clacton, was one of the protestors holding up a banner reading: “Farage not wanted here.”

Protest - not everyone in Clacton is happy with Nigel Farage's decision to stand for election (Image: Newsquest)

She said: “We’ve unveiled it here to show there are other opinions in Clacton and not everyone wants Nigel Farage here.

“He’s just used it as a cheap publicity stunt, and it’s worked. Quite frankly, it’s been quite intimidating.”

The other candidates for the Clacton constituency are Matthew Bensilum (Lib Dem), Natasha Osben (Green), Jovan Owusu-Nepaul (Lab), and Giles Watling (Con).