Count Binface, the intergalactic space warrior and political satirist, has declared he will stand against Nigel Farage in the upcoming Clacton-on-Sea by-election. Asked how he will appeal to voters, he replied: 'Well, I'm not Nigel Farage.' The character, formerly known as Lord Buckethead, first gained fame for challenging Prime Ministers Theresa May and Boris Johnson in their own constituencies. He is now the only candidate willing to head off the Reform UK leader, with his manifesto including capping croissant prices at £1 and forcing former prime ministers to do national service.
Who is Count Binface?
Count Binface describes himself as 'an intergalactic space warrior and leader of the Recyclons from planet Sigma IX.' The man behind the mask is Jon Harvey, a stand-up comedian and author from Croydon, and a Crystal Palace fan. Harvey has worked on political satires such as the BBC's The Thick of It, Have I Got News for You, and Time Trumpet, and has presented for Times Radio. In 2019, the New Yorker hailed him for creating one of the 'Jokes of the Year' with his Succession parody Recession, which satirized Boris Johnson's family.
Why did he change from Lord Buckethead?
Until 2018, Count Binface was known as Lord Buckethead. The name change came after a copyright dispute with US filmmaker Todd Durham, who created the character in his 1984 sci-fi film Hyperspace. A version of Lord Buckethead had stood in the 1987 and 1992 UK general elections, played by Mike Lee. After Jon Harvey's portrayal went viral in 2017, a legal battle ensued. As Count Binface writes on his website: 'In 2018 I had an unfortunate battle on the planet Copyright. An elderly American human film producer took my Twitter account off me after I got famous. So I had an upgrade and took on Boris Johnson in the 2019 election in my new and improved form.'
What is his election record?
In the 2019 general election, Count Binface received 69 votes, beaten by the new Lord Buckethead who got 125 votes. He came ninth in the 2021 London mayoral election with 24,775 first-choice votes, defeating Piers Corbyn and UKIP. 'This is a new record for an alien standing for public office on planet Earth,' he said. In the 2023 Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election, he got 190 votes, again beating Piers Corbyn and UKIP, as well as the Official Monster Raving Loony Party. He got 308 votes in the 2024 General Election against Rishi Sunak and 95 votes against Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election.
What is his Clacton manifesto?
Count Binface has not yet unveiled a dedicated manifesto for the Clacton by-election. His previous promises include cutting taxes for supporters while raising them for others, capping ice cream and kebab prices, improving traffic flow and train Wi-Fi, abolishing automatic subscription renewals, conscripting people who use speakerphones on public transport, forcing cyclists who ignore the Highway Code to ride unicycles, banning VAR, and entering himself as the UK's Eurovision 2027 contestant. He demands other major parties stand down, stating: 'I will be a unity candidate and pledge to build at least one affordable house. Nigel Farage says he wants the people versus the establishment. So be it. Leave him to me.'
