Come on, man. He’s got a bin on his head. How can you let yourself get rattled to this extent? In the days since Count Binface emerged as the only credible challenger to Nigel Farage in the Clacton by-election, the reaction has been seismic.
ALSO READ: Head-to-head IPSOS poll gives Count Binface a 12-point lead over Nigel Farage
Clacton by-election: Count Binface vs Nigel Farage
None of the major parties are standing a candidate in the race Nigel Farage himself declared. His resignation as an MP, only to immediately announce his candidacy for the subsequent by-election, has been branded a political stunt from all corners. No-one wants to indulge him.
This is new ground for Nigel. He’s become quite adept at setting the political discourse, and getting the rest to dance to his tune. His interventions in the last decade have shaped the major talking points for national policy. But, on this occasion, it hasn’t worked. And he’s got the election he deserves.
Count Binface has a history of running in high-profile contests. Before challenging Andy Burnham and Reform in Makerfield last month, he had gone toe-to-toe with Sadiq Khan and Boris Johnson in their respective runs for office. The attention on Mr Binface now, however, is unlike anything else.
ALSO READ: Odds on Count Binface winning Clacton by-election SLASHED by bookies
What is in the Count Binface Manifesto?
His tongue-in-cheek policies, ranging from his pledge to build exactly one affordable house to capping the price of Flake 99s at 99 pence, have now gained nationwide traction. Debates about whether he could wear his costume in Parliament have sent eyes – and more importantly, ‘view totals’ – rolling.
The Count’s sense of humour has been derided as ‘pure centrist dad’. And that’s probably a fair cop. It’s largely inoffensive, ‘early 2010s internet’ quips that dominate his soundbites. But either way, it’s pretty clear this candidate is the subversive punchline of this whole affair. Anyone can see that.
Can’t they?
Maybe we should legalise comedy…
Not everyone is guffawing – and there has certainly been some… takes… on the whole affair this weekend. Count Binface’s ultimate victory is becoming worthy enough for critical assessment. Given his whole shtick, you have to say, that’s the real punchline.
For one right-leaning commentator, it all got a bit too much. Simon Evans, the comedian turned columnist, outright called the ‘novelty candidate’ the C-word, in an unhinged diatribe published by Spiked. Once again, we’d just like to re-iterate… he’s got a bin on his head.
“By dressing up as both a bin and an intergalactic traveller in time and space, Binface might seem to outflank Farage as an ‘outsider’. But his actual policy proposals, are distinguishable from those of Starmer’s front bench only by the slightly muffled delivery occasioned by his stupid prosthetic head.”
“Count Binface is not funny. He is the establishment candidate in Clacton. Oh yes. And he’s also a c**t.” | Simon Evans, Spiked
A mess of Nigel Farage’s own making
It’s such an unedifying way to get rattled. Nigel Farage is winning this non-election at a canter, then we can do it all again with some actual challengers. Maybe it’s not that deep. But also, we do have to acknowledge that there will be losers in this race. And it is the people of Clacton.
There have been no known in-person surgeries in two years here. Their representative is a fleeting figure within the constituency. It’s hard to recall a time where the former (and most likely next) MP for Clacton did something to put the place on the map for something other than his own activities.
So yes, there is something to begrudge about this whole thing. But the fact of the matter is, the man pretending to be an eight-foot extra-terrestrial doesn’t even come close to being the most farcical thing about this by-election.