Rob Pownall, a campaigner who had announced his intention to stand against Nigel Farage in the Clacton by-election while dressed as a fox, has pulled out of the race, condemning the contest as a 'farce' and a 'circus'. Pownall, 27, had revealed to Metro last week that he planned to stand in the vote to draw attention to the plight of British wildlife and Farage's support for fox hunting.
Pownall's decision to withdraw
In a video posted on Sunday night, Pownall said: 'This by-election was already something of a farce, I think we all know that. But it's now become more of a circus than even I expected.' He cited the arrival of right-wing agitator Laurence Fox and former Married at First Sight star Luke Worley as reasons for his withdrawal, adding: 'I just don't think our cause is helped by sharing a stage with these people.'
Pownall came joint second-last in the Makerfield by-election won by Andy Burnham last month, receiving 18 votes while dressed in the same fox outfit with haunting yellow eyes. He previously stood for Edinburgh Central in May's Scottish Parliament election while dressed as a gannet, winning 41 votes.
Reaction to Pownall's candidacy
His announcement last Thursday prompted a wave of comments on social media accusing him of threatening to split the 'novelty candidate' vote in Clacton. Farage critics have sought to frame the by-election as a race between the Reform leader and 'independent space warrior' Count Binface. In every post about Clacton on its Facebook page, Pownall's campaign group Protect the Wild was forced to comment insisting his vote count would be too small to make a difference.
The Clacton by-election landscape
The Clacton by-election was launched last week when incumbent MP Nigel Farage announced he would be resigning in order to stand again, as he faces scrutiny from the media and Parliament over undeclared donations and other support. In a speech on Tuesday, he declared it would be a 'people versus the establishment' vote – but every major party announced they would not be standing, variously describing the move as a 'stunt' and a 'vanity project'. That has left Farage facing a line-up of celebrities, no-hopers, novelty candidates – and Jeremy Corbyn's brother Piers.
However, it is Count Binface who has captured the public imagination as the best hope for embarrassing the Reform chief at the ballot box. Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Deputy PM David Lammy and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch all referenced Binface in their responses to the by-election, while Farage dismissed the idea of debating the anthropomorphic bin as 'silly'.
Public opinion and support for Binface
An Ipsos poll published last week found that 33% of Brits hoped Binface would win the Clacton by-election, compared to 21% backing Farage. Presenting an award last week, prime minister-in-waiting Andy Burnham said: 'Count Binface, you are carrying the hopes of the nation.'
