He couldn’t, could he? Well, according to a new snap poll from the experts at IPSOS, Count Binface has successfully captured the imagination of the public on a national scale. And, ahead of the crucial Clacton by-election later this month, alarm bells may be ringing for Nigel Farage.
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Nigel Farage vs Count Binface – what does the public think?
Earlier this week, the Reform leader revealed during a press conference that he would resign as an MP, only to announce that he would then contest the subsequent by-election in his constituency. Blasted as a ‘vanity project’ by rival politicians, the field of competitors is sparse.
None of Labour, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, or the Green Party will field a candidate for the vote. All have rejected the legitimacy of the exercise, which has immediately descended into acrimony. Critics have accused Mr. Farage of trying to avoid further scrutiny over his finances.
The arch Brexiteer is currently under Parliamentary investigation for the £5 million undeclared donation he received from Christopher Harborne in 2024. Though his resignation will delay this matter, it is likely to resume if he’s elected back into office – the findings of which could trigger ANOTHER by-election.
Clacton by-election: Who is running?
All in all, we’ve got a spectacular farce on our hands. So it only makes sense that Count Binface would throw his lid in the ring for this. And, speaking of joke candidates, Laurence Fox (remember him?) will also run for office as a representative for the Reclaim Party. Yes, there is another one.
However, Mr. Binface has seized the opportunity with both gloves. The costumed ‘alien from Sigma 9’ has been a constant fixture on the media rounds this week, raising his profile and even gaining international acclaim. He’s ran for office before – but this promises to be his most high-profile contest yet.
Among some of his more eye-catching policies, The Count has promised to cap the price of Flake 99s at 99 pence, and to build at least one affordable house. He’s also running, almost solely, on the premise that he is ‘not Nigel Farage’. But will his message resonate with the voters?
Count Binface ‘more popular’ than Nigel Farage in direct head-to-head – IPSOS
Frustratingly, there’s been very little in the way of polling data from Clacton for this particular contest. But this week, IPSOS crunched a few numbers, and asked a sample size of 1,000 Brits who they would prefer to win the by-election. The results were somewhat eye-opening.
In total, 33% of those surveyed expressed their preference for a Count Binface victory. In contrast, Nigel Farage only fetched 21% of the public backing, trailing his illustrious rival by 12 points – and ‘neither’ by 11 points. So, just how worried should Reform be?
Well, this data isn’t Clacton-centric. It has polled a wide number of people across the country. Reform won this constituency by almost 20 percentage points in 2024, and Nigel Farage retains decent level of popularity in the region. This on its own doesn’t indicate the mother of all upsets is on the way.
It does, however, show a wider public disdain for the right-wing firebrand. Barely scraping 20% of votes in a survey which pits you against a novelty candidate doesn’t exactly bode well for a General Election in a few years time. Assuming that Nigel doesn’t get ‘binned’ before 2029, of course.