Count Binface, a self-described “intergalactic space warrior” with a bin for a head, appears to be the main challenger to Nigel Farage in Thursday’s Clacton by-election. The Reform UK leader quit as an MP to fight a “people versus the establishment” by-election in his Essex constituency.
All of the main political parties said they will not field candidates in the upcoming poll, with Green leader Zack Polanski branding it a “circus”. Arguably the highest-profile contender to challenge Mr Farage is Count Binface.
Who is the man behind the bin?
Jon Harvey, a comedian from Lewisham, created Count Binface. The 46-year-old father-of-two has worked on shows including Have I Got News For You and the Thick of It. He has been standing in elections since 2017 when he challenged Theresa May’s constituency as his Lord Buckethead character.
But after receiving a copyright complaint from the American film-maker Todd Durham, who created Lord Buckethead for his 1984 science-fiction film Hyperspace, Mr Harvey rebranded as a bin. Count Binface is described as an “intergalactic space warrior, leader of the Recyclons from Sigma IX and part-time politician on Earth”.
Election history
He has stood in a number of elections, including in Boris Johnson’s former seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip where he claimed to have split the Labour vote and caused the Tory victory. He also stood against Rishi Sunak in Richmond and Northallerton at the 2024 general election and challenged Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election last month. In 2021 and 2024 he ran in the London mayoral elections.
What are his policies?
Binface has a wide-ranging number of manifesto policies. He has vowed to force Thames Water bosses to “take a dip in the Thames to see how they like it”, in reference to sewage being pumped into the London river. VAR in football matches should be abolished, he said, and he has promised to “build at least one affordable house”.
His 2024 manifesto for London also included a ban on “loud snacks” in theatres and plans to demolish the Millennium Dome to make way for a nature reserve. London Bridge would be named after actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Ceefax would be brought back under his plans. Ice-cream and croissant prices should also be capped, he has said.
