Nigel Farage claims Clacton win is 'not a protest vote'

Nigel Farage has been elected as the MP to serve the constituency of Clacton. The Reform UK leader secured 46.2 per cent of the vote, beating Giles Watling of the Conservative Party to be the area's new representative in the House of Commons.

Mr Farage was backed by more than 21,000 votes, followed by Mr Watling with 12,820, Jovan Owusu-Nepaul with 7,448 and Matthew Bensilum of the Lib Dems with 2,016. It means the constituency is now held by Reform UK.

More than 78,000 votes were cast in total with a turnout of 58 per cent. Independent Tony Mack, who was the initial Reform UK candidate before Mr Farage announced his intention to run, received 317 votes.

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Farage told reporters at Clacton Leisure Centre: "It shows that there is a level of disenchantment with politics. I think people are looking for something different. But, and here’s the important thing, this is not a protest vote.

"They’re not saying two fingers up to the establishment. They’re saying, ‘You know what, we really agree with what these guys are saying, we really agree with what they’re saying about tax levels, we agree with what they say about levels of legal net migration’. I promise you the enthusiasm of people voting Reform UK is truly extraordinary."

EssexLive’s reporters will bring you every twist and turn this election night as the results come in. From the final declarations to the reactions of voters and the candidates themselves, our reporting team will be following it every step of the way.

You can keep up to date with the latest results as they are declared on our live blog. Our reporters are attending various counts across the region, including Chelmsford, Clacton and Harlow. They will be filing updates and analyses from their counts as well as providing the latest news from elsewhere in the county.