Nigel Farage has mocked a heckler who crashed their car seconds after shouting an insult at him. The Reform UK leader was campaigning in Clacton when he was shouted at from the window of a passing Vauxhall Astra, seemingly unaware that the lights in front of them had turned to red.
Seconds later, the car ploughed into the back of a stationary vehicle, much to the amusement of Farage’s supporters watching on. One person could be heard commenting: “She won’t be doing that again in a hurry.” Mr Farage posted a video of the incident on X and said: “This lady shouted abuse at me and then crashed her own car.
“That’s what you might call instant karma!”
Mr Farage will face a record 33 rival candidates in the by-election he triggered in protest at media and parliamentary scrutiny of his finances and backers.
The main Westminster parties are boycotting the Clacton by-election, dismissing it as a stunt by the Reform UK leader, leaving joke candidate Count Binface and actor-turned-politician Laurence Fox as his highest-profile opponents.
Mr Farage wanted the contest to be a “people versus the establishment” showdown but he is now facing opponents including three from the Official Monster Raving Loony Party and an array of independents.
Following his resignation, just 16% of those polled said they had not heard about the donation, while 69% believe it is damaging for him.
Mr Farage insists he has done nothing wrong and allies have portrayed him as a victim of an “establishment stitch-up”.
But polling suggests more people view Mr Farage as part of the establishment than prime minister-in-waiting Andy Burnham.
Nearly half (45%) of those polled viewed Mr Farage was part of the establishment, compared to 41% with same opinion about Mr Burnham.
Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch were seen as part of the establishment by 52% and 54% respectively.
In addition, 69% said Mr Farage should have declared the £5 million donation, including 41% of Reform voters.
Most people polled said the parties are right to boycott the by-election, with 38% backing the position compared to 25% who said it was wrong.
The polling also showed that Mr Farage’s foremost by-election opponent Count Binface is narrowly the preferred winner by a small margin of 34% to 29%.