UK electoral law does not prevent a registered political party from fielding more than one candidate in a parliamentary by-election. Each candidate must have a valid nomination and be authorised by the party’s nominating officer.
Nigel Farage has previously stood in seven parliamentary contests since 1994, and successfully became an MP for Clacton in the 2024 general election.
Parliamentary candidates do not have to be from the area they want to stand in to appear on the ballot, but they do have to be nominated by 10 people who live in the constituency.
A £500 deposit is also required to validate their candidacy, which they only get back if they achieve more than 5% of the vote share.
Mayoral elections have stricter eligibility rules. For example, in London candidates must either live, work or be registered to vote in the capital, or rent or own a property in the city. They must also get at least 10 nominations from each London borough and at least 10 from the City of London, and win more than 5% of the vote share to have their £10,000 deposit returned.
