Andy Burnham has been humiliated live on Sky News just hours after winning the Makerfield by-election—by novelty candidate Count Binface, of the Count Binface Party. The “space warrior,” whose costume consists of a giant bin mask and cloak, appeared on the Ridge and Frost show via video link from his hotel room, and it was not a great look for Labour.
With Burnham likely to start a leadership contest and attempt to oust Prime Minister Keir Starmer, host Sophy Ridge found it bizarre that he was standing on an “anti-Labour” platform—despite being a member of the party himself. She said: “People are saying the Labour candidate is campaigning on a kind of anti-Labour, get the Labour prime minister out platform… and that you’re not the real novelty candidate in the race.”
Count Binface Responds
Ridge asked: “How much of a bizarre by-election was it in Makerfield?” Count Binface responded: “You’ve taken the words right out of my bin there, Sophy. Of course it’s mad. I turned up on your planet expecting to be the novelty candidate, and each time I take part—this is my magnificent seventh election, and I finished a magnificent seventh—more and more, I’m becoming the sensible, mainstream option.”
He continued: “Has any Labour or Conservative candidate ever previously stood on a platform of ‘vote for me, the party leader’s terrible’? It’s a curious one.”
Cheeky Mayoral Tenure
Binface added: “On top of that, you may have noticed that point 10 in my manifesto, I made it that one deliberately, is that elected mayors should serve the entirety of their office before they’re eligible for Parliament! Because of course Andy’s been very cheeky.”
“But we had a jolly good chat—potential prime minister, to actual space warrior, last night. He was very, very giving, and we had a nice time. I think there’s scope for some diplomacy there,” Binface concluded.
