Nigel Farage's 'farce' by-election dealt fresh blow as animal rights candidate dressed as a fox pulls out over claims the contest has become a 'circus' he wants no part in

By CHRISTIAN CALGIE, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT-AT-LARGE Published: 16:33, 14 July 2026 | Updated: 16:43, 14 July 2026 A Clacton by-election hopeful planning to stand against Nigel Farage in a fox costume has pulled out, branding the contest a 'circus'. Rob Pownall, an independent animal rights activist who won 18 votes in Makerfield last month, had announced his candidacy against the Reform UK leader in order to 'give British wildlife a voice'. But yesterday he quit the crunch election, joining others in calling it a 'farce' after all the main parties refused to field candidates. Mr Pownall said the dwindling list of joke contestants, alongside Mr Farage, means 'whatever chance there was of this being taken seriously has now gone.' 'The more time that's passed, the more this has looked less like a by-election and more like a circus, with people using Farage's seat as a stage for their own attention, career, or brand. 'Farage can be the ringleader of his new circus, we're not here to be one of his performers.' In a Substack post this morning, the fox added: 'British wildlife protection is a serious issue, and I take this cause incredibly seriously.  'I have to weigh up the point at which being part of something stops helping that cause and starts undermining it.  Rob Pownall said he was withdrawing from the contest as the 'farce' would only undermine his animal rights cause  Nigel Farage has insisted the Clacton contest is a 'real' election, despite none of the other main parties fielding candidates against him Mr Farage faces a range of novelty joke candidates and independents, with Count Binface among the frontrunner rivals who may pick up protest votes 'Being lumped in on a stage alongside a lineup of people treating this as a punchline isn't the platform we set out to find, and I don't think it's the one that best serves the animals we're trying to protect.' Mr Farage insisted last week that the upcoming by-election, set to take place on August 13, is a 'real election', and accused the main parties of refusing to stand because they are scared of being humiliated at the ballot box. Speaking to the Mail, he confessed he had not envisaged the mainstream parties refusing to stand against him. The Reform chief is now set to stand against a raft of remaining novelty candidates and independents, including Count Binface, the Monster Raving Loony Party, and 'Mr Fishfinger'. Last week, a poll found that the British public would prefer Count Binface to win the seat. Ipsos Mori's survey saw 33 per cent of Brits say they would back the space-themed joke candidate, compared to just 21 per cent for Mr Farage. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch joked: 'If it's the people versus the establishment, I think Nigel Farage might be looking like the establishment, and Count Binface may be the people.'