A by-election in Clacton attracts 34 candidates, with Nigel Farage among those standing, according to the BBC and the Evening Standard. The BBC reports that the field includes 20 independent candidates and also features a number of “joke” candidates. The Evening Standard adds that the main Westminster parties are boycotting the by-election, meaning they do not field candidates in the contest. The different outlets describe the same overall candidate count and emphasize the unusually crowded list, particularly the large number of independents and the presence of non-serious entries. While the sources do not provide further detail on specific candidates beyond Farage and the general composition of the list, they collectively indicate that the by-election is being contested without participation from the principal UK party groupings that normally run campaigns. Overall, the reports characterize the race as an atypical multi-candidate contest focused on candidates outside the major parties’ usual involvement.