Few in Westminster believe that Farage will lose on Aug. 13. Clacton is as close to diehard Farage territory as it gets (he won 46 percent of the vote at the last general election). But how the ploy affects his standing with the nation at large is another matter.
In the poll, 45 percent said the by-election bid will damage Farage’s image, compared to 27 percent who thought it would aid his reputation.
By a margin of 29 points, a majority of respondents sided with the by-election being a pointless waste of time and money (56 percent disapprove of the election bid, compared to 27 percent who believe it’s a worthwhile use of the democratic process).
A majority sided with the belief the election is a bid by Farage to dodge scrutiny (51 percent to 31 percent) — but it would seem the allegations are not going unnoticed.
Some 48 percent believe there are more reasons to doubt Farage’s integrity than most other politicians, compared to 25 percent who disagreed. But that’s not where the trust issues end for Farage.
In triggering the by-election, Farage had hoped to force a showdown with his political rivals and come out saying Clacton backs him despite whatever the outcome of the investigations into Reform donations. Instead, all major political parties called Farage’s bluff and decided not to run against him.