The two recent Parliamentary by elections – in Tamworth and Mid-Bedfordshire – saw most of a hodgepodge of far-right candidates poll less than 5% and lose their deposits. Only Reform UK, the successor to the Brexit Party, polled (just) enough to keep their £500.

The results for far-right candidates were.

TAMWORTH

Ian Cooper, Reform UK 1,373 votes, 5.4 per cent (3rd place, out of nine candidates) Saved deposit.

Ashley Simon, Britain First (BF) 580 votes, 2.3 per cent (4th place)

Robert Bilcliff, UKIP 436 votes, 1.7 per cent, (5th place)

MID-BEDFORDSHIRE

Dave Holland, Reform UK, 1,487 votes, 3.7 per cent (5th place out of 13 candidates)

Antonio Vitiello, English Democrats (ED) 107 votes, 0.3 per cent (8th place)

Alberto Thomas, Heritage Party (HP) 63 votes, 0.2 per cent (11th place)

Both the English Democrats and Heritage Party candidates received fewer votes than the Monster Raving Looney candidate.