The ultra Nigel Farage clashes with an intergalactic trash can

LondonPerhaps it is the most evident proof of British humor or, even, of a very particular way of understanding politics: the far-right –or any other group– can also be fought with comedy. This is what Count Binface, real name Jon Harvey, one of the novelty candidates one of the UK's best known, who will face the ultra Nigel Farage in the Clacton-on-Sea by-election, in southeastern England, most likely on August 13. These types of candidates run in elections under a satirical persona, with the aim of ridiculing traditional politicians and denouncing the contradictions of the system, rather than aspiring to victory. In this case, however, whatever happens, Binface has already won and Farage, besieged by corruption scandals, has already lost, as a result of a very poorly calculated maneuver of his own.

Harvey, a classics graduate from Oxford University, was a scriptwriter for the BBC programme for seven years Have I got news for you, and has also written special episodes of The thick of it, one of the great British political satire television series. Married, father of two children and a Tottenham Hotspur fan, he dedicates his free time to embodying an "intergalactic space warrior" over 5,900 years old, leader of the Recyclons from planet Sigma IX. His uniform – a black and grey armor, a silver cape and a helmet shaped like a trash can – is already an icon of British electoral campaigns.

Count Binface – who could be translated as Count Binface – will be the main rival of the leader of the Reform Party in the Clacton-on-Sea election, called after of Farage's resignation last Tuesday following Parliament's investigation into alleged irregularities in donation declarations. Farage is confident of retaining his seat and turning the elections into a plebiscite on his figure and "against the Westminster establishment." In 2024, he won his first parliamentary seat in this constituency after eight attempts. He obtained 46% of the votes. Clacton-on-Sea includes Jaywick Sands, the most deprived neighbourhood in England.

The decision of Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Greens and Restore Britain not to field a candidate has left Binface as Farage's main media antagonist, although he will still have another: The Official Monster Raving Loony Party, a party exclusively dedicated to electoral satire.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, summed up the situation ironically when she signed the authorization for electoral spending on Wednesday: "It is a farce and a desperate maneuver to divert attention [from the corruption allegations], and the people of Clacton-on-Sea deserve much more. But if [Nigel Farage] wants to spend the summer arguing with a dustbin, I won't be the one to stop him".

The Earl's previous rivals

It is not Harvey's first electoral foray. He had previously run against Theresa May (2017), Boris Johnson (2019), Rishi Sunak (2024) and Sadiq Khan for Mayor of London on two occasions. Last month he competed in Makerfield, in northwestern England, where Andy Burnham won, who will become the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on July 20. On election night, Burnham looked happy next to the intergalactic warrior as the results were announced. The future premier will be even more so now, knowing that a very popular comedian in the country ridicules Farage, who is seen as a potential threat to Labour.

Binface's satirical campaign to "make Makerfield great again" included, among other measures, limiting the price of kebabs to two pounds. He also promised to "lower your taxes [and] raise them more for everyone else." Strategies that were widely shared on social media but only garnered 95 votes, meaning he lost the £500 deposit that all candidates must pay to run.

All of your campaigns have the same tone. You combine purely humorous proposals with minimally serious ones. You finance your political adventures by selling t-shirts, caps, and mugs, and you allocate half of the profits, which you have, to Shelter, the charity working with homeless people. This week it launched a campaign for its supporters to donate three pounds to cover the expenses of Clacton-on-Sea. By Wednesday evening, more than 8,000 donations had been registered. The candidacy has gained even more traction, and perhaps more chances, after renewable energy entrepreneur and Labour donor Dale Vince offered on Thursday to finance it: he could contribute up to £180,000.

Count Binface intervened on Wednesday night, in his official uniform, on the political information program Newsnight, from BBC2. He joked about the coming days, saying he still doesn't know if he will go to the constituency to ask for votes, because, as he said, "the current MP seems to spend more time in Washington than in Clacton." A jab at the international activity of the leader of Reform UK, which brings him enormous economic benefits. The satirical and political critique group Led By Donkies has reported the twelve paid jobs that Farage has, which provide him with an income of more than one million pounds annually, not counting the donations he receives, one of which, for five million pounds, is the most serious of the irregularities being investigated in the Commons.

During the interview on the BBC programme Newsnight, Binface also responded humorously to the possibility of becoming an MP. According to the current rules of the House of Commons, he could not intervene in his costume. The issue has even reached the political debate. Some MPs are considering asking the Speaker of Parliament, Lindsay Hoyle, that if Count Binface is elected with this identity, he should be allowed to take his seat without giving up the character. It would be the definitive triumph of satire in a country where, for a long time now, politics has often seemed to have become a tragicomedy.