Clacton By-Election Candidate Profile
John Stevens
John Stevens is a former Conservative MEP, former City investment banker and current deputy leader of Rejoin EU. His Clacton campaign is explicitly designed to turn the by-election into a direct test of Brexit, alongside local proposals on social care, young people, transport, internet connectivity, energy and the cost of living.
John Stevens
Stevens has one of the longest political records in the Clacton field. He has been a Conservative MEP, founded the Pro-Euro Conservative Party, joined the Liberal Democrats, stood as an Independent and is now deputy leader of Rejoin EU.
Who is John Stevens?
Stevens had a substantial career in finance before and alongside his political work, and served ten years in the European Parliament.
Banking and finance
The Global Policy Institute describes Stevens as a former foreign-exchange and government-bond trader. He worked in France, Germany and Italy before joining Morgan Grenfell in 1979.
He later became a main board director of Morgan Grenfell and headed its European currency and government-bond trading operation.
His Rejoin EU biography also describes him as a former City investment banker who advised European governments on issues connected with joining the single currency.
Education and Europe
The Global Policy Institute says Stevens was educated at Winchester and Magdalen College, Oxford, where he studied Jurisprudence.
He was elected Conservative MEP for Thames Valley in 1989 and remained an MEP until 1999. The same biography says he served as vice-chairman of the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee and was heavily involved in monetary and euro-related work.
“I believe you can be proudly British and proudly European.”
John Stevens, Clacton manifestoConservative to Rejoin EU
His current Rejoin EU label is the latest stage in a political career that has consistently revolved around Britain’s relationship with Europe.
Won the Thames Valley European Parliament constituency for the Conservatives and was re-elected in 1994.
Stevens says he left because of the Conservative Party’s increasingly hostile position towards European integration and Britain’s participation in the euro.
Stevens and Brendan Donnelly established the Pro-Euro Conservative Party, with Stevens serving as its leader.
In an article written by Stevens for The Independent in December 2001, he announced that the Pro-Euro Conservatives had decided to join the Liberal Democrats.
Stood as an Independent against Commons Speaker John Bercow and Nigel Farage. Stevens came second with 10,331 votes, ahead of Farage.
Appeared on the Rejoin EU London Assembly list and is now the party’s deputy leader.
Selected by Rejoin EU to contest the by-election and make Brexit the central question of his campaign.
His 10-point Clacton manifesto
Stevens has published a dedicated manifesto rather than relying only on Rejoin EU’s national message. Rejoining the EU remains its central theme, but several proposals are specifically aimed at Clacton.
A serious election
Rejects the idea that the by-election should be treated as political theatre or a joke and argues that residents deserve a serious contest about Clacton’s future.
Put Brexit back to voters
Wants Clacton to provide a direct electoral test of whether Britain should remain outside the European Union.
Rejoin for economic growth
Argues that rejoining the EU would be the single largest available measure to improve UK growth, trade and investment.
Cost of living
Links closer European integration to a stronger pound, lower interest rates and a lower cost of living.
National Care Service
Proposes a national care service and argues Clacton’s large retirement community could make the area a national centre of excellence for care.
Local energy benefits
Wants communities near energy generation to benefit more directly, including Clacton receiving cheaper local power from offshore wind and future renewable generation.
Opportunities in Europe
Wants young people to regain the ability to work and train freely across Europe, including hospitality and tourism, and bring those skills back to Clacton.
Faster trains and internet
Wants better digital connectivity and faster transport links to Colchester and London to make the constituency more attractive to young families and businesses.
European security
Argues Britain needs greater strategic cooperation with European allies alongside NATO to deal with threats from Russia, China and other major powers.
British and European
Rejects the idea that British and European identities conflict and makes that dual identity a central part of his political argument.
“Reform promised Clacton change. Clacton is still waiting.”
John Stevens for Clacton campaign websiteIssues from across the constituency
Stevens’s campaign has published a dedicated doorstep page identifying different concerns it says have been raised in communities across the Clacton constituency.
Clacton, Frinton and Walton
In Clacton, the campaign highlights the town centre, seafront economy and the seasonal nature of employment.
In Frinton and Walton, it highlights train frequency, reliability and wider transport links.
Holland-on-Sea and Jaywick
In Holland-on-Sea, the campaign says adult care and support for an ageing population are recurring issues.
In Jaywick, it identifies flooding around Brooklands and the condition of roads and local infrastructure.
Thorpe-le-Soken
Stevens’s campaign highlights broadband and internet connectivity as an issue affecting households, remote working and small businesses.
Wix and rural businesses
The campaign says growers, hauliers and other local businesses have raised the additional paperwork and trading friction associated with Brexit.
Make Clacton a test of Brexit
Stevens is unusually explicit about the strategic purpose of his candidacy.
Why he is standing
In a letter published on 18 July, Stevens said his objective was to secure a respectable pro-European vote in one of Britain’s strongest Leave-voting areas and use that result to encourage a national cross-party campaign to rejoin the EU.
He argues that refusing to challenge Nigel Farage directly on Brexit would leave Farage’s central political argument untested.
Not Leavers versus Remainers
In an interview with The Independent, Stevens said he does not want a renewed confrontation between Leave and Remain voters.
His argument is that Remain supporters also need to acknowledge mistakes in the referendum campaign and that any future reversal of Brexit should be presented as a shared correction rather than telling Leave voters they were wrong.
“No election in a democracy is a joke.”
John Stevens, Rejoin EU campaign letter, 18 July 2026AI political position indicator
Stevens has moved between parties, but his underlying politics show considerable continuity. His Conservative and City background, support for free trade, relatively low taxation and a state that enables private enterprise pull towards the centre-right. His later Liberal Democrat affiliation, strong European integration, international cooperation and emphasis on civil and political liberalism pull towards the centre-left. Overall, his published platform is best described as broadly centrist, with an unusually strong pro-European focus.
FL = Far Left, L = Left, C = Centre, R = Right, FR = Far Right. This is an approximate Clacton.org AI editorial estimate based on published policies, political history and campaign statements. It is not a position supplied, endorsed or approved by John Stevens or Rejoin EU.
Known election contests: 12
Democracy Club’s recent election database only shows part of Stevens’s record. Research into older European, parliamentary and local elections produces a much longer history.
| Date | Election | Party / status | Votes | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Thames Valley, European Parliament | Conservative | 73,070 | Elected |
| 1994 | Thames Valley, European Parliament | Conservative | 70,485 | Re-elected |
| 10 June 1999 | South East England, European Parliament regional list | Pro-Euro Conservative | Party-list vote | Not elected |
| 25 Nov 1999 | Kensington and Chelsea parliamentary by-election | Pro-Euro Conservative | 740 | Not elected |
| 2 May 2002 | Tachbrook, Westminster City Council | Liberal Democrats | 249 | Not elected |
| 10 June 2004 | London, European Parliament regional list | Liberal Democrats | Party-list vote | Not elected |
| 4 May 2006 | St James’s, Westminster City Council | Liberal Democrats | 305 | Not elected |
| 6 May 2010 | Buckingham, UK General Election | Independent | 10,331 | 2nd, 21.4% |
| 6 May 2021 | London Assembly additional-member list | Rejoin EU | Party-list vote | Not elected |
| 4 July 2024 | Kensington and Bayswater, UK General Election | Rejoin EU | 486 | Not elected, 1.2% |
| 1 May 2025 | Runcorn and Helsby parliamentary by-election | Rejoin EU | 129 | Not elected, 0.4% |
| 13 Aug 2026 | Clacton parliamentary by-election | Rejoin EU | Pending | Current election |
Interviews and direct material
Stevens has given several interviews during the Clacton campaign and maintains a detailed candidate website alongside Rejoin EU’s own campaign pages.
Candidate and party links
Sources and further information
This page uses Stevens’s own Clacton campaign, Rejoin EU material, official election records, historic election archives and contemporary interviews.