Farage flanked by fans but swilled with milkshake as Clacton divides on Reform

New Reform leader Nigel Farage experienced mixed fortunes when launching his candidacy in Clacton as he gave a speech to hundreds of devoted followers, before being swilled by a milkshake.

After making an announcement in London on Monday that he would take over the leadership of Reform, as well as running as a candidate, Mr Farage travelled to Clacton Pier to campaign to future constituents.

Mr Farage will be hoping it is eighth time the charm after seven failed attempts to secure a seat in Westminster in a variety of constituencies.

Those gathered for his speech were devoted followers of the former Ukip and Brexit Party candidate, with shouts of “get ’em Nige” and “we love you Nigel” as he admonished the Labour and Tory parties.

One particularly die-hard fan said Mr Farage was “up there with Churchill”, while others sported Donald Trump t-shirts and hats, showing their support for Mr Farage’s recently convicted close friend.

Following the speech, the Reform leader retired to the Moon and Starfish pub, where he held media interviews.

While sporting Union Jack socks, he joked that members of Reform “get fired if they don’t wear these”.

During the transition from pub to Reform battle bus, Mr Farage had a drink thrown over him, seemingly a milkshake, something the controversial figure is not unfamiliar with having fallen victim to milkshakes on previous campaign trails.

Richard Tice, Nigel Farage’s predecessor as Reform UK leader, said: “The juvenile moron who threw a drink over Nigel has just gained us hundreds of thousands more votes.

“We will not be bullied or threatened off the campaign trail.”

Party supporters and journalists were taken for a spin on the Reform open top bus, with those on the top deck having to duck to avoid getting hit by foliage.

Mr Farage said he would be a “champion” for Clacton, which he described as a “forgotten, end of the line town”.

He told the PA News Agency: “I had to decide, do I want to stand as a member of Parliament and spend every Friday working in Clacton. Huge decision for me, huge decision for me, I’ve decided I do.”

He added: “I’ll be here as many Fridays as I can, of course I will. My message to the people of Clacton is, these people here supported me in Ukip and the local MP at the time Douglas Carswell.

“They supported me hugely in the Brexit Referendum campaign, and they want someone to stand up for their beliefs, and they don’t see that in today’s Conservative Party, they certainly don’t see that in today’s Labour Party.

“I will be their champion on the national issues, and on the local issues, having a national figure representing a forgotten, end of the line town, who knows I may well be able to bring some investment and do some good.”

Conservative candidate for Clacton, incumbent MP Giles Watling said he thinks he’s got a “really good chance” at beating Mr Farage to the seat in Essex.

He told the PA: “Anything that puts Clacton on the map is worth having and if Nigel wants to do that with his media circus then I’m delighted, it’s great stuff.

“It means I’ve got a battle on my hands, but I like a battle.”

Mr Watling said the previous Reform candidate Tony Mack “stood a good chance” before being “sat upon” by Mr Farage.

He said: “We were going to have a little bit of a battle there, but he’s been sat upon, Nigel has pretty much taken over the party and has now decided to stand.

“And I think that I’ve got a really good chance but I’m never complacent and I think people just wandering around here today just talking to people on the street and people have been shaking my hands and saying, thank you for what you’ve been doing’.

“And so if that stands for anything, I think that’s good.

“I was always not going to climb the greasy pole. I was nearly 65 when I first got elected. So I decided to be a local man represented in Westminster, which is what I’ve done.”

Local resident Faye Rathe said Farage doesn’t give “a rat’s arse” about families in Clacton.

Ms Rathe, who has lived in Clacton for over 20 years, said: “I think really we need local people to stand for local issues going on here and be given more local powers and funding really.

“And we definitely don’t need someone like Farage who was going to America last week and has now decided that he cares so much about the people of Clacton.”