Britain's Low Bar, High Comedy Tradition
Running for the UK Parliament costs a £500 deposit, about $675, refunded to anyone who wins at least 5% of the vote. That low bar has built a proud tradition of joke candidates sharing the election-night stage with prime ministers and party leaders.
The cast includes the Monster Raving Loony Party, which vows to paint half the country's gray squirrels red and place yellow rubber ducks in any puddle deeper than three inches. There is a candidate who dresses as a fox, another in a Darth Vader-style costume called Lord Buckethead, and one who legally registered his name as "None of the Above."
Binface is the most famous of them all. He runs a YouTube channel of spoof music videos, including one where he croons "This election is rubbish" to the tune of Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody."
The Man Inside the Bin
Behind the bin is Jon Harvey, a 46-year-old comedian who studied classics at Oxford and has written for several British TV shows. He only speaks on the record in character.
"Jon Harvey? Never heard of him!" Binface says. "But he sounds very intelligent."
He keeps the costume on even in the current UK heat wave. "Oh it's hot in here! Partly because of my armor, and partly because you're cooking the planet with human-made climate change. You idiots!" he said during a day of interviews with media from Japan, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany.
Why This Race Exists at All
Farage, the Brexit campaigner and Reform UK leader, won the Clacton seat two years ago on his eighth attempt at Parliament. This summer he called a special election to re-run for his own seat, claiming the establishment is out to get him.
"It's a chance to stick two fingers up to the entire establishment, to frankly tell them where to go!" Farage said at a news conference last month.
Rival parties call the vote a stunt designed to distract from an investigation into whether Farage failed to declare millions in donations from crypto billionaires. Farage says the donations were private and did not require disclosure.
Mainstream parties refused to field candidates. That left Binface as Farage's lead competitor.
"I'm the only fresh thing on the menu! You're all sick of these politicians," Binface says. And critically: "I would not accept 5-million-pound donations from crypto billionaires on your planet!"
The Binface Manifesto
His campaign promises include:
Build at least one affordable house
Nationalize the singer Adele
"Cut your taxes and raise everyone else's"
Cap the price of croissants
Relocate the hand dryer in the men's restroom of a certain pub to a more sensible spot On that last one, he is passionate. "Do you want to be using the urinal and have another human blasting your bits with insanely hot air?" he asks. "You don't want your nether regions to be burned to smithereens, especially with your healthcare, mate!"
Can He Actually Win?
Almost certainly not, but the numbers are remarkable anyway. Pollsters predict Binface will take more votes in Clacton than he has in any previous race. One national poll even found that if the whole country could vote, he would beat Farage.
Only Clacton residents get a ballot, though, and local polling puts Farage well ahead.
"I think we all know probably Nigel is gonna win again, and he just makes people smile. They think it's ridiculous!" said Helen Matthews, 63, a retired banker who plans to vote for Farage.
Others see a protest vote worth casting. "Maybe Count Binface will do more for Clacton!" said Cameron Jangdhari, 43. "What he's actually showing though is how laughable British politics has become."
There is one more wrinkle: even a Binface victory could trigger a constitutional headache. Parliamentary rules forbid lawmakers from wearing anything on their heads inside the Palace of Westminster. Trash bins included.
The Real Risk for Farage
Political analysts predict a Farage win, but say the contest may still embarrass him. His Reform Party's popularity has slumped in recent months, and turnout is the number to watch.
"The risk for him is not about winning," said Robert Hayward, a pollster and Conservative member of the House of Lords. "The risk for him is that the turnout will be low."
Hayward notes the deeper irony. Farage called the election to dominate the media with an anti-establishment message. Instead, the coverage has been dominated by a fake politician wearing a garbage can on his head.
What Comes Next
At least 33 candidates paid deposits to run in Clacton, most of them joke entries. On Thursday night, Farage will stand on stage beside a lineup of costumed challengers as the results are read out.
Binface cannot wait. "The U.K. is the only country on your planet where you can stand on that stage on election night, with the great and the good, or just a member of parliament, and you hold them to account," he says. "Literally, in my case! And you get the wonders of democracy. It's a great leveler. It's beautiful!"
He admits he is there to prove a point. But this time, he is also hoping to win enough votes to get his £500 back.
FAQ
Who is Count Binface?
A satirical UK political candidate played by comedian Jon Harvey, 46, who campaigns in a black bodysuit, silver cape and metal trash can helmet.
Who is he running against?
Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, in a special parliamentary election in Clacton-on-Sea on Thursday, August 13.
Why is there a special election in Clacton?
Farage called it himself to re-run for his own seat, framing it as a stand against the establishment. Rivals call it a distraction from a donations investigation.
Could Binface actually win?
Local polling puts Farage well ahead, though one national poll found Binface would win if the whole country voted. Pollsters expect his best-ever result.
What does Binface promise voters?
At least one affordable house, nationalizing Adele, a cap on croissant prices, and moving a poorly placed pub hand dryer.
