Nigel Farage is said to be seriously considering running to be an MP for the eighth time after new polling suggests he could be in with a shot at winning in Clacton.
The Essex seat, which has previously been held by Douglas Carswell of UKIP, recorded one of the strongest pro-Leave votes in the 2016 Brexit referendum, with 70 per cent of people in the area voting to leave the European Union.
It also has the highest proportion of economically inactive people in the country.
Now, a new survey commissioned by Arron Banks, the former Ukip donor, suggests that Farage could win comfortably in the area, picking up 37 per cent of the vote which would be ten percentage points more than the Tory incumbent.
Responding to its findings, Farage said: “I have to say to you that this poll does make the balance of probabilities towards getting back on the pitch stronger.
“This poll does make me consider getting back on the pitch far more seriously than ever before.”
Farage has stood for election to the House of Commons seven times, in five general elections and two by-elections, but has not won any of those elections.
The last time he stood he was marginally defeated by Craig Mackinlay in South Thanet, who picked up 38.1 per cent of the vote to his 32.4 per cent.
He has also stood in Eastleigh, Salisbury, Bexhill and Battle, Bromley and Chislehurst and Buckingham.
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