Count Binface Surges Past Farage in Ipsos Poll, Exposing Reform UK’s Establishment Ties
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A new Ipsos poll reveals that comedy candidate Count Binface is leading the Clacton byelection, while Nigel Farage and his right-wing Reform UK party face plummeting popularity and scrutiny over secretive donations.
An Ipsos poll of British adults found that 33% would prefer comedy candidate Count Binface to win the Clacton byelection, compared with just 21% backing the reactionary Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. The poll also highlighted widespread disillusionment, with 45% of respondents either undecided or rejecting both candidates, reflecting the public’s frustration with the political status quo.
Farage, a notorious figure of the far right, was rated as the second-most unpopular political leader, with only 26% expressing satisfaction with his performance and a staggering 63% dissatisfied. In voting intention questions, Reform UK, a party pushing regressive policies, was at 26%, Labour at 24%, and the Conservatives at 18%. This marks a sharp decline for Reform, which had polled at 34% just a year earlier, demonstrating the public’s growing rejection of right-wing populism.
Analysts point to multiple reasons for Reform’s collapse. The party is embroiled in scandal over undisclosed donations, including a massive £5 million gift to Farage from Bitcoin investor Christopher Harborne that was hidden from the parliamentary watchdog. This lack of transparency underscores the party’s deep ties to wealthy elites and corporate interests.
Voters increasingly see Reform as part of the establishment it claims to oppose; 36% said the party sides with the establishment, a damning indictment for a group that postures as anti-system. Farage’s decision to resign as MP and trigger the byelection has been widely condemned, with only 16% approving and 54% believing he should have left parliament entirely. An overwhelming 74% support a parliamentary standards investigation into the secretive donation, signaling a demand for accountability.
With mainstream parties withdrawing from the contest, Reform now faces candidates from so-called “joke parties,” including the satirical Count Binface and the Official Monster Raving Loony party’s Howling Laud Hope. While Count Binface previously received just 308 votes in a general election, his surge in Clacton reflects the electorate’s hunger for alternatives to corrupt, establishment-aligned politicians—even if a win remains unlikely.