Comedic candidate Count Binface enters UK by-election race
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Count Binface, a satirical candidate who wears a garbage-can helmet, has joined the field for a special parliamentary election in Clacton after Nigel Farage announced his candidacy.
A comedian performing as the intergalactic persona Count Binface entered the race for a by-election in the seaside constituency of Clacton-on-Sea, where Nigel Farage announced he would stand again after resigning from Parliament. Binface, whose real name is Jon Harvey, said he was "the only fresh thing on the menu" and positioned himself as a humorous alternative to established politicians.
Harvey, a middle-aged writer who has contributed to shows such as "The Thick of It" and "Have I Got News for You," has kept the character in full costume, complete with a black cape and a rubbish-bin helmet. He told reporters that voters were "sick of these politicians" and that he offered a "secret sauce" of novelty.
The by-election, triggered by Farage’s resignation over financial allegations, attracted nearly three dozen candidates, including three from the Monster Raving Loony Party. Major parties have largely boycotted the vote, describing it as a political stunt. Treasury Secretary Rachel Reeves responded to Farage’s challenge by saying she would not "stop him" from arguing with a bin.
Binface’s platform mixes absurd promises, such as cutting some taxes while raising others, building a single affordable home, and even nationalising singer Adele. He also pledged to move a hand dryer in a local pub’s men’s restroom to a more sensible location. On foreign policy, he said he would "love to cement" the UK-US relationship with a "galactic union," while dismissing US President Donald Trump as "awful."
Harvey has run under similar satirical guises in previous elections, including as Lord Buckethead in 2017. Although he does not expect to win, he noted that, if elected, he would have to remove his costume to comply with parliamentary dress rules.