Safer streets
Residents deserve visible, accountable policing and proper action on crime, antisocial behaviour and public safety. No community should be expected to accept decline as normal.
Clacton By-Election 2026
In 2026, I stood as an Independent candidate in the Clacton parliamentary by-election. The extraordinary contest featured 34 candidates and gave me firsthand experience of parliamentary campaigning, canvassing, election administration and speaking directly with residents about the issues affecting their community.
Result: I received 50 votes, finishing around the middle of the 34-candidate field.
Featured in
Coverage of the by-election that included my candidacy.
BBC News
The candidates standing in the Clacton by-election
The Independent
Clacton by-election candidates: meet the record number of people standing
Clacton & Frinton Gazette
Clacton by-election: candidates put their policies to voters
Clacton.org
250 words, no bias: candidate statements
WhoCanIVoteFor
Rees Cowne, Independent candidate for Clacton
Why I stood
I stood as an Independent because I believed residents deserved a serious voice focused on local priorities, public service and responsible leadership.
The by-election attracted wide national attention, but Clacton was not a backdrop. The people who live and work there deserved to be listened to and taken seriously.
The issues people raised with me were clear: better access to healthcare, safer streets, support for young people, action on empty shops, better roads and infrastructure, properly managed migration, and cleaner, safer beaches.
Standing without a party meant no machine, no budget and no shortcuts — but also nothing between me and the people I was asking to represent.
On the campaign
My local priorities
Health services people can reach
Access to GPs, dentists and mental health support should be realistic, timely and available when people need it.
A high street that works
Local businesses should be supported, empty units addressed, and town centres treated as places of pride, opportunity and community life.
Better opportunities for young people
More clubs, training routes, apprenticeships, sports, arts, cadets, practical skills programmes and local jobs that help young people build a future.
Roads and infrastructure
Dangerous roads, neglected potholes and weak local infrastructure affect daily life, local businesses and confidence in the area.
Migration and local communities
Migration must be properly managed so that housing, public services and local communities are not placed under unsustainable pressure, discussed seriously and responsibly.
A coast that is cared for
Clean coastal water, protected beaches and proper seafront infrastructure matter for residents, visitors, businesses and future generations.
An MP who shows up
Representation should mean presence, accessibility and accountability.
My national policy positions
Economic renewal
A serious plan built around investment, trade, exports, infrastructure, business growth and work that pays.
Stronger defence and national security
Better resources for UK forces, stronger support for veterans, and deeper cooperation with NATO and European partners.
Better international relationships
Mature, practical relationships internationally, including closer ties with Europe on trade, security, science, culture and education.
Education and life skills
Stronger focus on leadership, responsibility, ethics, communication, financial understanding, digital literacy and practical life skills.
Free university education
A move towards free higher education and a fair settlement for those still carrying student debt, funded responsibly and phased properly.
Human creativity in the age of AI
Protecting writers, musicians, artists, performers and designers from systems that use their work without consent, credit or compensation.
Animal welfare
Stronger welfare standards, tougher enforcement against cruelty, and higher standards in farming and food production.
Environmental protection
Clean water, protected coastlines and real consequences for organisations that profit while damaging the environment.
What residents raised with me
Speaking with residents, volunteers and local business owners, several concerns came up again and again.
More opportunities for young people
Families told me Clacton needed more youth clubs, activities and safe places for young people — provision that builds friendship, discipline, confidence and skills.
Empty shops and the town centre
Shopkeepers raised the effect of vacant commercial premises on footfall, confidence and the appearance of the town centre.
Dangerous roads and potholes
One mother described her pram striking a pothole, throwing her baby from the pram. The defect was still unrepaired and unmarked.
Migration and local communities
Residents and businesses raised pressure on local services, and tents and informal encampments around beaches and parks.
Beach safety
Beachside businesses described stepping in themselves to help swimmers and people in medical emergencies, with very limited visible lifeguard coverage.
The original campaign leaflet
The leaflet delivered across Clacton during the campaign. Turn it over to read both sides.
Tap the leaflet to enlarge.
Looking back
Standing in a 34-candidate by-election as an Independent was never going to end in a seat, and it did not. Fifty people put their name to my candidacy at the ballot box, and I am genuinely grateful to every one of them.
What I took from it was harder to measure: hundreds of doorstep conversations, a working understanding of election administration, and a much clearer sense of how far a serious campaign is from a good idea alone.
It was an unusual first parliamentary campaign and an invaluable experience. My interest in public service has not gone anywhere.
Campaign material on this page was promoted by and on behalf of Rees Cowne, Independent candidate for Clacton, of Suite 415, 405 Kings Road, Chelsea, London, SW10 0BB. It is retained here as an archive of the 2026 by-election campaign.