The farcical byelection victory of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is a holdout from the days not so long ago when British politics seemed rotten to the core.

Farage won the seat of Clacton in 2024 general election but resigned last month following a growing storm over his repeated failures to declare gifts and donations, including a £5 million ($9.6 million) personal gift from billionaire Christopher Harborne that helped the MP buy a £1.4 million home. Farage proffered various explanations for the largesse – it was for his security, then a reward for Brexit.

But a parliamentary investigation into the possible breach of declaration rules stopped when he resigned as an MP. It may resume now he’s been re-elected, with the possibility of another ludicrous byelection a possibility.

Farage’s star has been fading in opinion polls. He wanted to use the Clacton byelection to give voters in the conservative electorate who no longer cared for major parties a chance to reaffirm support for their adopted local hero and his unparliamentary antics.

Disgusted at his bare-faced cheek, Westminster’s other major parties withdrew candidates from the race. The byelection turned into a sour national joke.

With no mains players in the game, Farage was left looking slightly stupid, competing against a field of 33 political hopefuls. Among them was Count Binface, aka comedian Jonathan Harvey, a satirical character who wears a rubbish bin over his head and had previously contested byelections against former prime minister Boris Johnson.

This time Harvey pledged to abolish the video-assisted referee in English Premier League football and “nationalise” the singer Adele. He was among 20 independents, several representatives from tiny parties, and no fewer than three novelty candidates from the perennial election loser, the Official Monster Raving Loony party.

Nevertheless, Farage romped home with 22,239 votes, a slight increase on his 2024 haul of 21,225. Two years ago, with voting not compulsory, 58 per cent of Clacton electors voted. This time, only 44.37 per cent of eligible voters bothered. Count Binface finished as his nearest rival, with 9455 votes.

Farage claimed the result as a ringing endorsement. But opponents point to the poor turnout as indicative of a hollow victory. Meanwhile, the Herald’s European correspondent, David Crowe, reported that the mainstream view, conveyed in most of the media, is that Farage has peaked.

The most significant outcome of the Clacton byelection is that the Reform UK leader got away with manipulating democracy to avoid scrutiny over the finances.

Like US President Donald Trump, Farage has shaped a political career by hogging the spotlight and railing against the establishment while simultaneously personifying old guard sentimentality for a receding past. These are tactics that have proved so successful that politics in many nations has been overwhelmed by people intent on trashing democracy for their own spurious advantage.

These unfortunate hallmarks of modern-day populism are also starting to leach their way into Australian politics.

They are already evident in the rise of One Nation and its passing parade of unvetted and questionable candidates. Australia does not want or need such a development to happen here.