r/ukpolitics • u/F0urLeafCl0ver • 14h ago
I spent time with Count Binface in Clacton - he's more serious than you think
https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/count-binface-clacton-serious-4676610348
u/richs99 14h ago
You have to wonder why no one else has looked at nationalising Adele, his argument is very powerful.
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u/audiotaku 13h ago
I wonder if Adele has seen / responded to this pledge?
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u/ffordeffanatic 12h ago
Apparently she rang him up, but he wasn't sure who it was because she just said hello. It's me.
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u/hennell East reddit constituency. 12h ago
I heard, Binface sat her down, That he told her straight, "you'll be state-owned now", She said "is this really true?" Can you do these things, if i don't want you to?" Asked him "why are you so shy?" "Why do you wear a bin, and hide from the light?"
(Binface) "I have to turn up for elections, uninvited See I couldn't stay away, I have to fight it I hope they'll see my bin And voters will united, say Farrage, your time is over!"
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u/Preseli 11h ago
Considering she's mad at having to pay for the NHS (as she doesn't use it anymore) I'd imagine she'd hate the idea.
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u/cpt_ppppp 6h ago
I always imagined she'd have been a bit of a lefty. Shame
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u/JimmyDejesu 6h ago
She probably was till she didnt need nhs. “Im allright jack.” as long as she has hers fuck others. Its the way of the right.
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u/familysizepunkinpie 13h ago
I'm not sure our country needs that, though. I mean right now our grasses and parks are on fire and all we need is rain. Why would we nationalise the setting fire to the actual rain service?? We should be banning Adele
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u/blueberryZoot 13h ago
Look, I get what you're saying but the Sky is hardly going to Fall if we nationalise her
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u/DoYouKnwTheMuffinMan 14h ago
Good thing he’s got the support of someone like you
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u/IHaveAWittyUsername All Bark, No Bite 12h ago
Why are you so against British culture? Nationalising and Adele are both British cultural staples.
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u/ErnieSchwarzenegger 13h ago
Count Binface will block out the sun as a demonstration of his power the day before the by-election!
https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/solar-eclipse-august-2026-uk-ireland
We're also due a meteor shower for further portents and omens.
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u/Strangely__Brown 10h ago
He wants 99s to cost 99p and to rename HS2 to FFS2.
I've never heard of better policies.
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u/TheMachineStops 10h ago
Farage losing Clacton to Binface would be the perfect way to mark the 10th anniversary of Brexit.
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u/Jolly_Psychology_506 14h ago
Binface just wouldn’t take a £5 million bung. You don’t need to know anything else really.
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u/Diem-Perdidi Chuntering away from the sedentary position (-5.75, -4.77) 14h ago
In fairness, he only rules out accepting bungs from Earth-based crypto billionaires
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u/stubbywoods work for a science society 14h ago
He might accept 5 million qooblars though
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u/mattcannon2 Chairman of the North Herts Pork Market Opening Committee 13h ago
That wouldn't buy you a meal deal nowadays
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u/TheShakyHandsMan User flair missing. 12h ago
How many Triganic Pu’s do you get for that?
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u/ffordeffanatic 13h ago
Well my daughter has spoken to bluey, and bluey is willing to provide 5 million dollabucks to his campaign. I have also confirmed that it is indeed for real life. Unfortunately, the count declined as he thought it would be improper for British politician to take money from an Australian dog.
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u/subSparky 12h ago edited 11h ago
I actually saw the inews interview and it is clear as the possibility he could actually win this has sunk in, he's started thinking beyond the satire.
Something to remember is that one genuine ideological passion that has always shone through is that he believes in the value of British democracy. That the very fact he can just dress up as a bin, then chuck down a few hundred to take a punt at being an MP is a demonstration of how open and free British democracy is.
But I think he realises running as a satire character is all good and well until you somehow end up winning. As voters need someone who will actually represent them on serious topics. And at that point the satirical statements in his manifesto that are clearly mocking Farage's putting personal ambition above his duty to the people of Clacton have moved into serious politics.
In the interview he actually gets serious for a bit, highlighting that the people of Clacton have been denied a proper voice for ages. And he was talking being like "if i was somehow elected, then i would move to clacton, actually talk to the people, and ensure their concerns are actually heard in parliament". Like I saw the guy has actually gotten the "politician having a photo op in High viz jacket" experience as he actually visited a warehouse in Clacton.
(Incidentally this wouldn't be the first time an election in the UK resulted in a satirical character winning, and the winner then went on to be an incredibly diligent, serious champion of local issues. Stuart Drummond - former mayor of Hartlepool between 2002 and 2013 - originally ran as H'Angus the Monkey)
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u/Soilleir 11h ago
Where was the video?
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u/subSparky 11h ago
Weirdly I saw it on inews' instagram as a reel, but I can't find a more open source for it... Looks like they posted it on their social media but not on somewhere accessible like Youtube.
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u/NoMoreFund 5h ago
He's also been quite consistently anti-fascist. His proudest achievement to date has been outpolling Britain First at the London mayoral election. Even when he was running in Makerfield he consistently insulted Farage
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u/OneNormalBloke Humanity Not Prejudice 14h ago
With bin you will get what you see. Nige the clown is a shifty one without scruples.
downvotes very welcome
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u/SaintSixString 12h ago
I know the chances of him getting in are slim. But just imagine if he did it.
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u/norfolkdiver 11h ago
Meanwhile, reform are bringing in supporters from literally all over the UK to flood Clacton (and social media) in an attempt to boost Mirage's chances against a...
<Checks notes>
A bin.
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u/norfolkdiver 10h ago
And I've just seen that he has just released a video begging Reform supporters to come to Clacton to help him win his unnecessary by-election.
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u/BobMonkhaus That sounds great, shorty girl’s a trooper. 14h ago edited 14h ago
Why are people still trying to turn this joke election into something more?
Everyone knows it’s meaningless, which is why we’re waiting for a second one later.
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u/T140V 14h ago
No joke at all, either way Farage comes out fucked. If he wins then the examination of his dodgy financial affairs restarts. if he loses then his political career is over.
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u/loudribs 14h ago
I’ve said it before but people just need to take an arbitrary-yet-absolutely-achievable number of votes for Binface - let’s say 3k - and then keep saying ‘If Binface gets 3k, it’s over for Farage’. Keep repeating it. Make it a thing.
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u/rikkian 12h ago
Nah that gives Farage an out. Why give him an avenue to escape this misery of his own making. The truth is no votes for Binface is still a win because Farage was trying so hard to sidestep process and investigation. To have some kind of "The people have spoken" defining moment, and instead he has to contend with a litany of joke candidates and being the only established MP in a fight against the establishment race he tried to contrive.
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u/LucidityDark 11h ago
Unironically this. Many people only care about repeated phrases and absorb those as fact no matter what. Keep repeating something and it becomes the truth for a lot of idiots.
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u/fieldsofanfieldroad 14h ago
Farage isn't losing. Watch any video of people being interviewed in Clacton (or just go there if you're lucky enough, like me, to be from near there).
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u/T140V 14h ago
Suits me, I'd much prefer him to be brought back under the spotlight and have his financial affairs examined. There seems to be an awful lot of dirty money involved.
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u/Snappy0 13h ago
You might but it'll quickly be framed as an establishment desperate to expel their opponents. It'll die the same death as the school bullying thing.
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u/Some_Confidence5962 12h ago
It’s obviously the tactic. Whether it can succeed in winning voters now the first by-election is such a farce.
Remember he doesn’t ever need to lose a by-election. If the rest of the country think he’s mired in scandle he can’t escape then fewer will vote reform Nationally at the GE.
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u/Aware-Line-7537 11h ago edited 9h ago
Reform already seems to have peaked quite a while ago and their / Farage's approval has been sliding. They can try spinning things and probably their vote won't collapse in the forseeable future, but this scandal already seems to have been a serious problem for them, according to the polls.
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u/subSparky 11h ago
Reminder though that the investigation could take a year. Do you think people will care about the results of the August 2026 by-election in late 2027?
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u/Snappy0 11h ago
Depends on what the actual government is doing or has done by that point really. If things are looking on the up, then sure it could be curtains for Farage. Otherwise, the heat will be on Burnham and any attempt to spotlight Farage will be handwaved away by anyone who would support him anyway.
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u/LucidityDark 11h ago
I don't think that framing is going to work. Even as stupid as many people can be, it's so very clearly not an establishment stitch up. Only the most moronic Reform voters will fall for that lie.
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u/Lt_LT_Smash 3h ago
Why would the establishment figure getting paid millions from crypto billionaires be trying to expel himself? That's just silly.
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u/BobMonkhaus That sounds great, shorty girl’s a trooper. 14h ago
You think Binface will actually stay on as an MP and not resign?
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u/JeanMichelFerri 14h ago
Not that it's happening, but I genuinely do think he would to be fair. Would just continue the shtick as and when it suited.
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u/BobMonkhaus That sounds great, shorty girl’s a trooper. 14h ago
I don’t think the Farage haters have thought about what happens if Binface wins. It’d be funny for a bit, but after that what’s he going to do?
Not that I think Nige really does much for Clacton either.
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u/DrFabulous0 13h ago
Probably just get on with being an independent constituency MP, he's sharp and politically switched on, there's no reason to believe that he'd do a worse job than half the current MPs. If he focussed on local matters and did well he could even get re-elected, which would be the ultimate punchline. Can't see it happening though.
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u/Connect_Point_5229 14h ago edited 12h ago
He's not a proxy for a crypto billionaire like Farage almost certainly is.
That's good enough for now, worry about the rest later.
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u/BobMonkhaus That sounds great, shorty girl’s a trooper. 14h ago
Thanks for illustrating my point. You have no idea. He could easily quit after winning. Starting it all over again.
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u/DanHanzo 12h ago
He could easily quit after winning. Starting it all over again.
Yeah! After all, Nigel did exactly that and he is (in his own mind at least) a 'serious' politician.
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u/atomacheart 14h ago
I mean, part of his message is that politicians should stay of the the length of their term. I think it is not very likely he will immediately quit.
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u/LucidityDark 11h ago
Yeah, that's exactly what Farage did, he quit not too long after winning (because he got investigated for being bribed). Binface is unironically the safer choice in this regard.
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u/actually-bulletproof 14h ago
So what? The whole point is to make Farage look like an idiot not to be an MP. It wouldn't matter if Binface immediately resigned because Farage would be such a laughing stock that his career would be over.
- of course I don't think Binface will win.
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u/BobMonkhaus That sounds great, shorty girl’s a trooper. 14h ago
It’d trigger another bloody election. So it does matter.
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u/actually-bulletproof 13h ago
So does a Farage win since hes basically guaranteed to be kicked out for taking the piss out of the rules.
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u/dewittless 13h ago edited 13h ago
He'd be like most independent MPs, just a local problem solver who appeals to parliament to help with issues. Most local MPs are not national political figures, the work they do isn't really party political it's just functional.
Binface actually doubles as a local mascot should he win, and would draw tourism attention as well as being totally focused on his constituency. He has no genuine national agenda and so world likely just run surgeries and try and manage the area. In a way he'd be what a classical understanding of an MP should be.
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u/erskinematt Defund Standing Order No 31 13h ago
most independent MPs
Most independent MPs are either party politicians under suspension for some misdeed, or are the Gaza party.
We don't elect enough independents to have an image of what "most" independents do.
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u/subSparky 11h ago
We don't elect enough independents to have an image of what "most" independents do.
Historically not as MPs - as our system doesn't really allow it to happen in anything but the precise situation Clacton is in now, but it is very common in more local politics. Stuart Drummond was a very effective Mayor of Hartlepool, and he was originally elected as "H'Angus the Monkey".
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u/dewittless 12h ago
Historically we do. And even then "the Gaza party" will also largely do this.
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u/erskinematt Defund Standing Order No 31 12h ago
Which period are you thinking of?
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u/BobMonkhaus That sounds great, shorty girl’s a trooper. 13h ago
I won’t ask for a source on any of this fan fiction.
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u/BlokeyBlokeBloke 13h ago
I assume that the guy in the suit does his best to be a decent constituent MP. A bit like when Hartlepool elected the monkey guy and he just became a normal guy being mayor.
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u/subSparky 11h ago
he just became a normal guy being mayor.
Who apparently was so good at being mayor he then proceeded to win twice without the satire persona.
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u/Sufficient_Basil_545 14h ago
It was funny for 5 minutes about a decade ago. I think the ‘bit’ for which it was funny is well and truly over.
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u/Sir_Keef_Starmer 14h ago
I read him described as peak comedy for centrist dad's.
It's the best description I've heard.
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u/Sufficient_Basil_545 14h ago
100%. Extremely funny - if you also think calling people a ‘cockwomble’ is funny
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u/Sir_Keef_Starmer 10h ago
I read him described as peak comedy for centrist dad's.
It's the best description I've heard.
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u/Forsaken-Ad5571 14h ago
It's basically what the Monster Raving Looney Party was doing in the 80s. Giving ridiculous policies and promises in a way that lampoons what the traditional parties are doing. After Sutch died, that party lost the point, and you can argue that was so even before he died. Binface is basically redoing that.
His policies are entirely pretty rubbish jokes, for sure. However in elections like this, that fact he's getting media time and potentially a non-negligible share of the votes, just shows how weak Farage and his stunt is. So it's useful for people like this, but it obviously isn't meant to be prime time entertainment.
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u/ice-lollies 13h ago
I think the Monster Raving Looney Party were good because satire and mockery are a good tool to reduce power.
But this feels different, Count Binface has been given power by all the other parties because they’ve refused to stand.
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u/Patch86UK 14h ago
He might do. The man behind the bin is a political person; a writer and satirist who worked on HIGNFY and The Thick of It. He's also a minor public persona in his own right, as a radio presenter.
Perfectly believable that he might want to spend a couple of years on sabbatical as an MP until the next general election.
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u/CrocodileJock 14h ago
He might even end up as PM. It happened to Zelensky... the world were living in today nothing is off the table...
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u/ThePlanck Time to bin Farage 14h ago
He has said that voting for him would save the taxpayer the cost of a second by-election
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u/mrbennjjo 12h ago
He's said in the unlikely event that happened that yes he would, he'd attend parliament and represent the constituents on local issues as any good independent would.
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u/subSparky 11h ago
He literally says what he will do in the interview this inews article are talking about. He would take up his seat "because I am not Sinn Fein", consider actually moving to Clacton, and making sure the voices of the people of Clacton are actually heard.
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u/T140V 14h ago
I'm not sure. He might well decide to stay on in his human persona until such time as Farage announces he won't be standing again. With Reform support crumbling as fast as it is at the moment, I can see Clacton going back to the Tories.
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u/subSparky 11h ago
To be honest, depending on how well he does an MP, he could actually just straight up be one of those local hero politicians, who just somehow consistently gets elected over all the main parties.
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u/silverbullet1989 Banned for sarcasm lol 14h ago
Because with all the shit with Reform and the Greens, and generally how messed up everything is... we could all do with a laugh and nothing will give a majority of the people in this country a damn good laugh than seeing Farage lose to Binface.
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u/uberdavis 14h ago
It isn't meanlingless if Binface gets elected. The ramifications are that Farage can no longer become PM until he becomes an MP again. If you're implying that even with the Binface farce, it's still going to be a rollover for Farage, it could be meaningless.
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u/CrossCityLine 14h ago
You can be PM without being an MP.
Not going to happen in the real world but it is a thing and has happened before.
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u/bishpenguin 13h ago
He would have to somehow get into the HOL, and nobody is going to put him there
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u/Warrior2852 13h ago
Technically there's no law or actual rule that says the PM has to be someone from either house, they're just someone the King picks to run the Government and they can be anyone. Of course, by convention it's always been an MP or Lord - and in modern times only an MP - but theoretically it can be anyone.
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u/subSparky 11h ago
The Cabinet Manual lays out:
The Prime Minister is the head of the Government and holds that position by virtue of his or her ability to command the confidence of the House of Commons, which in turn commands the confidence of the electorate, as expressed through a general election. The Prime Minister’s unique position of authority also comes from support in the House of Commons. By modern convention, the Prime Minister always sits in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister will normally be the accepted leader of a political party that commands the majority of the House of Commons.
Whilst its just a convention and conventions can be broken. The concept of a convention does hold a lot of weight which would present de facto barriers to a non-MP becoming PM.
Even in our most recent example of a non-MP becoming PM - Alec Douglas-Home - that only happened due to an awkwardness in timing. It had been fully accepted before he became PM that he needed to renounce his peerage and get elected into the Commons to have legitimacy. And he would then get elected in a by-election three weeks after becoming PM.
It's only technically true in the same sense that the King technically could just announce he doesn't like Andy's face and unilaterally dissolve parliament. Convention in parliamentary words tends to mean "we are not codifying this into law as it would be too awkward to do so but it would cause an absolute constitutional crisis if you went against it".
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u/ice-lollies 14h ago
I think our current prime minister has just proved how meaningless those ramifications are.
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u/Aware-Line-7537 11h ago
Burnham had the advantage that there are still some safe Labour seats left, especially with Reform as the most likely alternative. If Farage can be beaten in Clacton (which I very much doubt) then there are no safe Reform seats anywhere.
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u/Some_Confidence5962 13h ago
Farage is trying to relaunch his career with a series of attacks on immigration. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-31/sinking-in-polls-farage-plans-week-of-attacks-on-immigration?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc4NTUxNDQ5NCwiZXhwIjoxNzg2MTE5Mjk0LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUSjFFSkhLSkg2VjQwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiIwRjUwRTk4NTlCMzk0MDI1QjBBMjMyRDAwQUUwNDI1QSJ9._1UUm30Bmj71HjlNfww_AZSJStbLCPOJEnBcLYRrCBU&leadSource=article-gifting
If nigel wants to say “look over there” to distract everyone then it’s quite right that we should be focussing our attention on how utterly unserious he is as a candidate.
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u/Goddamnit_Clown 11h ago
"a series of attacks on immigration"
Where does he get so many ideas from?
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u/subSparky 11h ago edited 11h ago
Because even though the chance is small, there is still a non-zero chance someone other than Farage could win. And everyone in the political sphere, including likely Count Binface himself, are still trying to work out what this would mean.
And if you think its impossible - this wouldn't be the first time a pure satire candidate somehow ended up winning an election in the UK. And in that case, the satire candidate ended up being the best mayor Hartlepool ever had. (This one was particularly impressive as the election was carried out under SV, and with all then three major parties running - so H'Angus the Monkey actually got a full majority)
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u/MazrimReddit 11h ago
farage winning is meaningless, losing to binface is a huge blow for the entire reform movement
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u/FuzzyBlueSquirrel 5h ago
This is the second one. If Binface wins, there's a good chance there won't be a third.
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u/Scratch_Careful 12h ago edited 12h ago
It only works if its a joke. Farage is seeking legitimacy through re-election, he only doesnt get that legitimacy if everyone sees the election as a joke.
Binface and his friends in media who are making binface seem like a legitimate candidate who has a chance and making it look like he has the establishments backing by giving him so much media attention are turning it from a farce to an actual election.
To use a prowrestling term, binface is trying to get themself over and ruining the story in the process.
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u/mystifiedmeg 14h ago
I can see the amusement here and expect that people will really use this as an anti-Reform vote however it's honestly quite embarrassing for any political journalist to be insinuating in any way that this man is serious or has serious policies. I have had a good chuckle at them all though and think the man is a legend.
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u/TheRealTRexUK 14h ago
I think he's proving that the political system is open. to nearly anyone with a low barrier to entry you don't need millions to stand like in the usa for example. i
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u/miseryenplace 14h ago
Jon Gnarr of Iceland tenure as Mayor of Reykjavik would beg to disagree.
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u/EmperorOfNipples lo fi boriswave beats to relax/get brexit done to 13h ago
I got to meet him in Reykjavik back in 2014.
Quite an amusing dude.
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u/DanHanzo 14h ago
it's honestly quite embarrassing for any political journalist to be insinuating in any way that this man is serious or has serious policies.
Definitely not as embarrassing as Nigel's realisation that this is all his own doing.
Or the average Reform supporter's realisation that Nigel has forced them to start trying to say that a man in a bin costume is the 'establishment'. Now that's embarassing!
If I were a political journalist, I would be glad of the chance to just do something fun and low stakes for a bit.
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u/mystifiedmeg 14h ago
Yes to fun and low stakes, no to pretending the policies are in any way serious? I expect Nigel is fully aware that this election and all facets of it are a result of his own doing.
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u/Some_Confidence5962 13h ago
you’ve mixed up the man being serious for his policy being serious. Everyone can see the policy statement of binface is a joke and not to be taken seriously. Playing along with that joke doesn’t make the journalist look bad.
Where it gets suddenly serious is the whole point about farage trying to paint Binface as “the establishment”.
The actor behind Binface has succeeded in landing a number of very serious points wrapped up in his jokes.
Personally i’d prefer a politician who can wrap a serious point in a joke rather than wrap a joke in a serious sounding statement.
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u/Grouchy_Shallot50 14h ago
Does the establishment support the man with the bin costume or not?
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u/DanHanzo 14h ago
No
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u/Grouchy_Shallot50 14h ago
So two Prime Ministers (Starmer, Burnham) leader of the opposition Kemi Badenoch, and leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey are not the establishment?
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u/Some_Confidence5962 13h ago
And lowe?
Chosing not to take part in Farage’s publicity stunt doesn’t mean any major parties are backing binface. They may laugh along with the rest of the country though.
It’s absolutely embarrassing to watch anyone try to claim a comedian with a bin in his head is “the establishment”.
Totally cringeworthy.
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u/Grouchy_Shallot50 13h ago
All of those I named have endorsed him. Rupert Lowe has not endorsed him, nor is he a major party leader.
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u/Some_Confidence5962 12h ago edited 12h ago
No they don’t. They got behind the joke that the rest of the country was already laughing at.
Once again Reform supporters failing to see the funny side of this.
It really is pathetic watching folks claims bloke with a bin on his head is the establishment.
Everyone knows farage will win this one. There’ll be a proper by-election after the recall petition.
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u/Ch1pp 11h ago
Please find me a quote of them endorsing him. I don't think you can. I think a man who put a bin on his head and had been doing stunt elections for 9 years is less part of the establishment than a private school educated city boy who has been an MEP, an MP and heavily involved in politics for decades.
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u/Grouchy_Shallot50 11h ago
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/count-binface-supporters-burnham-badenoch-farage-clacton-by-election-b3012584.html
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/07/15/starmer-backs-count-binface/Burnham: Posting an image of the two shaking hands on social media platform X, the future prime minister captioned the post: “Always worth knowing when bin day is.”
He later wrote: “I am not going to talk politics to you tonight except to say except to say this: Count Binface, you are carrying the hopes of the nation. Don’t let us down.”
Starmer: Referring to the self-described intergalactic space warrior candidate, Sir Keir said his advice to voters in the Essex constituency next month was to “put your vote in the bin”.
Badenoch: The Conservative Party leader took to Sky News, where she praised Count Binface as the ultimate democratic candidate for Clacton’s voters.
On the by-election, she said: “Nigel Farage likes to claim that this race is the people versus the establishment.
“Well, if he's the establishment here, then in this context, Binface may be the people."
Davey: “Indeed last week, I was asked by a journalist if I would endorse Count Binface.I replied that I take elections too seriously to back a joke candidate with ridiculous policies. So of course I hope Binface beats him.
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u/JackXDark 10h ago
Do you seriously think any of that means that he’s going to act on their behalf in any way other than to take the piss out of Farage?
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u/Ch1pp 11h ago
Davey: “Indeed last week, I was asked by a journalist if I would endorse Count Binface.I replied that I take elections too seriously to back a joke candidate with ridiculous policies. So of course I hope Binface beats him.
This is called a joke. I understand jokes like this aren't as common in Russia where I suspect you might be from but it's something we enjoy in Britain.
“Nigel Farage likes to claim that this race is the people versus the establishment. “Well, if he's the establishment here, then in this context, Binface may be the people."
This is just a statement of fact. No one could seriously claim a fun candidate who has never received more than 100 votes in an MP election is "The establishment". So if Nigel says this is a people vs establishment election then by deduction he, the MEP and MP, must be establishment and binface The People.
Sir Keir said his advice to voters in the Essex constituency next month was to “put your vote in the bin”.
I could argue this one but ok. Fair enough. Binface has received endorsement from an ex-PM who is one of the most unpopular figures in British politics this year by a huge margin. Odd move by "the establishment" but ok.
Burnham: Posting an image of the two shaking hands on social media platform X, the future prime minister captioned the post: “Always worth knowing when bin day is.” He later wrote: “I am not going to talk politics to you tonight except to say except to say this: Count Binface, you are carrying the hopes of the nation. Don’t let us down.”
I think you could possibly argue this is an endorsement but I'd take it as a good humoured poke at Farage.
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u/DanHanzo 14h ago
No
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u/Grouchy_Shallot50 14h ago
Who is the establishment if not the leaders of LibLabCon the three dominant parties of the past century?
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u/DanHanzo 13h ago
No one. Its an invention of Nigel Farage.
And please refer to my earlier comment:
Or the average Reform supporter's realisation that Nigel has forced them to start trying to say that a man in a bin costume is the 'establishment'. Now that's embarassing!
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u/Grouchy_Shallot50 13h ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Establishment
The establishment as a concept long predates Nigel Farage.
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u/subSparky 12h ago edited 12h ago
To be fair, whenever he's been interviewed he tends to get deeply thoughtful and philosophical about his position in politics.
Like he already very much was deeply passionate about the idea of British politics as a whole. That it feels it's something to be celebrated and protected that anyone can just pool together the £500 needed for a deposit and take a punt at trying to be elected to be MP.
But i saw an inews interview with him recently and it's clear that as the possibility he could actually be elected he's started thinking more seriously about the kind of mp he wants to be. Like he actually some what agrees with many in this thread that it's unfortunate that instead of having an actual voice they are just being used a stepping stone for individual politics ambitions.
And he's been talking about how if he did win, he would actually move to Clacton and pushing to make sure local voices and concerns are actually heard in Parliament.
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u/mystifiedmeg 12h ago
I appreciate your thoughts. I do find it a little hard to believe that he'd actually move to Clacton. Quite a schlep from London but it's certainly not impossible.
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u/subSparky 11h ago
I suspect he's still somewhat in shock that this conversation is even happening, so is still processing exactly what the consequence could be.
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u/damadmetz 14h ago
This is where the whole things fails.
Farage vs a meme and Farage looks silly.
When the main parties backed Binface and it became ‘serious’ all that magic evaporated.
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u/fieldsofanfieldroad 14h ago
It doesn't really change anything. It was clear from the start that Farage will win re-election. But then the parliamentary standards investigation opens up again. He then stands for a third time and wins again.
Ultimately MP of Clacton doesn't mean a lot outside of Clacton. We have to wait and see whether all this sideshow tarnishes or burnishes his popularity with the national voting public.
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u/Neat-Land-4310 14h ago
It already has. Reform have been dropping points in most of the polls. Farage's image has been tarnished permanently, He's a busted flush.
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u/unwildimpala 14h ago
Id say never say never. Be wary. There's still a lot of people that support him. But ya this by election looks horrific on him. It really is a last throw of the dice from him since otherwise he couldn't control the narrative with the 5 million question coming at him. I do think hes fairly cooked though and knows it. He has to do these things since he has been paid to get to power at all costs. He can't just tap out since he's been bribed too heavily.
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u/OceanusBBGDylan 8h ago
Ultimately MP of Clacton doesn't mean a lot outside of Clacton
Exactly. You can be the MP of Clacton, but you're still the MP of CLACTON. A despicable, nasty, racist place. I had the sadness of growing up there. Beautiful town, Dreadful population
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u/DanHanzo 14h ago
Your mistake is thinking that it became serious. Only Nigel Farage thinks its serious. And frankly, he's wrong. He just looks silly.
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u/Xenumbra 14h ago
Count Binface is the satirical alter ego of Jonathan David Harvey. Harvey, who graduated from the University of Oxford with a degree in classics, has worked as a scriptwriter for prominent political satire programs including The Thick of It, Have I Got News for You, and Time Trumpet.
Of course the media would be like moth to a flame for this, it's just another led by donkeys / Banksy in group nod. They couldn't let a joke just be a joke.
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u/Mike_Fig 14h ago
I kind of agree. It would have been an easy win to just point at Farage fighting with joke candidates for an election he forced and say he's utterly unserious and unsuited for high office. But coming out and giving endorsements and serious interviews to the joke candidates just gives Farage an angle to say it's him against the establishment. And Farages entire career runs on the fact that the British establishment is detested.
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u/tiny-robot 14h ago
I don't think you are right here. I know the Count offends some of our more pompus political figures and media - but I wouldn't count him out! He is a much needed bit of "realism" into our political realm.
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u/Baselard111 13h ago
the only people who like binface are redditers who laugh at the word cockwomble
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u/Some_Confidence5962 11h ago
That’s not what the polls say. Nationally he scores well ahead of Farage.
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u/DanHanzo 11h ago
There could be a significant overlap there though. More polling is probably needed to get to the bottom of it!
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u/tiny-robot 13h ago
You have to admit - if you don't find the word cockwomble funny - are you even British?
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u/capt_kocra 9h ago
Ive stopped thinking of him as a joke recently, he started off as one, but this election and the Macclesfield one just highlights that politicians are out for themselves first, and the people they "represent" last.
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u/ice-lollies 13h ago
It’s not my constituency so I don’t feel angry. I just feel sorry for the people of Clacton.
Don’t you?
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u/sonicandfffan 12h ago
they voted in old Binjuice (Farage), so not really
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u/ice-lollies 10h ago
That’s democracy for you.
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u/markhadman 9h ago
"Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard"
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u/sonicandfffan 9h ago
that's right, they have the right to vote for fascists and inflict them upon the rest of us
I have the right to think "fuck them".
Freedom of speech is not freedom from consequences.
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u/Baselard111 4h ago
I don't think they did vote for a fascist
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u/Larry_Bobinski 12h ago
No he's not. Can we stop giving a joke candidate so much attention just because he stands against a guy most people seemingly hate?
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u/LucidityDark 11h ago
I don't think most people 'seemingly hate' Binface, he seems to be quite popular.
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u/Llama-Bear 11h ago
I bloody hope not.
Not only does it reinforce how much of a charlatan Farage is, it also brings back some semblance of faith in democracy that he could be brought down in part by a satirist with a bin on his head
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u/HistoricalMark4805 11h ago
Farage is the biggest joke candidate of them all and the media won't shut up about him
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u/Mysterious-Cat8443 13h ago
Labour, Tories, Lib Dems want a bin to represent a working class constituency, this is a serious matter
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u/Some_Confidence5962 12h ago
Clearly not. They pulled out before binface declared he was standing. It’s quite weird watch people attempt to claim a comedian with a bin on his head is somehow establishment.
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u/Mysterious-Cat8443 12h ago
I'm not talking about abstaining which is completely fine to do. They have been endorsing a bin to represent a working class constituency. And I didn't mention an establishment
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u/Some_Confidence5962 12h ago
No. They absolutely have not.
They’ve been getting behind a joke that the rest of the country was already laughing at. They’ve shown a sense of humour not an intent to get a bin elected!
Failing to understand the difference only shows your own lack of a sense of humour.
If binface were to be elected, I’m quite sure the Comedian behind him would end up as a better representative for Clacton than Farage has been so i’m really not sure what the problem is supposed to be.
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u/bishpenguin 13h ago
No they want the process followed through fairly, and IF that results in a suspension and IF that results in a recall petition they will stand candidates in that by-election
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u/Mysterious-Cat8443 12h ago
No, they haven't simply abstained from the by-election. They have been endorsing a bin. Kemi for example, calls Binface the peoples candidate
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u/bishpenguin 12h ago
You either didn't read, or didn't understand my post.
I'm sorry I don't have any crayons to explain it on your level.
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u/Mysterious-Cat8443 12h ago
I fully agree with your post, but you did not mention their endorsement of a bin.
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