Count Binface has compared his defeat in the Clacton by-election to the first leg of a Carabao Cup tie, sending a warning to Nigel Farage. The parody candidate earned 9,455 votes, 26 percent of the overall votes in a 44.4 percent turnout, while Farage, leader of Reform UK, won with 22,239 votes.
Farage skips declaration for 'Farage Fest'
Despite his victory, Farage did not attend the results declaration. Instead, he hosted his own 'Farage Fest' party. In a speech, he said: "I've been advised tonight by Essex Police that there is an organised campaign to disrupt and degrade the result that will take place in a few hours' time."
The by-election, estimated to have cost £250,000, was labelled a gimmick by all other major parties, who boycotted the race, leaving Count Binface as Farage's main rival. The election came amid scrutiny over a £5million gift Farage received just before the 2024 general election.
Potential suspension could trigger another by-election
Once Farage has been sworn in as an MP, an investigation into the gift is expected to open. If he is found to be in serious breach of the rules, he could face a possible suspension, which would lead to another by-election in Clacton.
Count Binface referred to that possibility when speaking to Sky News after Farage claimed victory. "You've just said at the beginning of this interview that Nigel Farage is claiming victory," he said. "Well in that case it's going to be a two-legged match, like the Carabao Cup or the Cold War, because we're going to be back in a few weeks aren't we? We'll see what happens then."
Binface on Reform's campaign efforts
Speaking before the election about the resources put into it by Reform UK, Count Binface added: "Whether he's scared of me, you need to ask Nigel that, but I have noticed just how hard Reform have been campaigning against an alien space warrior with a Ceefax fetish who only eight weeks ago scored 0.2% [of the vote share] in Makerfield. So yeah, it's a curious... But I respect it, and I'm rather flattered."
When asked what a good result would be, he said: "Well look, a single vote, one precious vote, imagine one human like you going into that voting booth, getting the stubby pencil out, and choosing Binface instead of Farage. Just give yourself a moment to think about that. Anybody deciding they would rather vote for me to be Member of Parliament than Nigel Farage is a win. Now, you magnify that every single time there's an X for Binface and it mounts up, and it mounts up, and it mounts up. And I'll be interested to see the headlines you guys write with the number of people, percentage-wise, who make that decision."
