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When Nigel Farage arrived in Clacton to launch his campaign for a new Essex constituency MP, he was greeted by a delighted crowd – and a milkshake in the face. But what happened when Farage’s fans and cameras went home? Will the people of Clacton really give Farage a seat in Westminster at his eighth attempt?
Esther Adley, a senior Guardian journalist, has been visiting the city since the Reform UK leader announced his candidacy to find out why he thinks his brand of populism could find a home there. She spoke to people who thought he was divisive and wanted him gone, while others felt he understood them and their concerns in a way that other politicians did not.
Helen Peed hears how immigration is a popular cause of the problems people see around them in Clacton, which has areas of real deprivation. Yet, Esther points out, this is despite the fact that the constituency has a low level of immigration and is overwhelmingly white. And, says one farmer, the need for more migrant workers is creating real problems for agriculture in rural parts of the constituency.
Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
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