Count Binface
Satirical 'unity candidate' who has stood in multiple recent UK by-elections including Clacton and Makerfield.
Count Binface is the only declared candidate against Nigel Farage in the Clacton by-election Farage triggered on 7 July after resigning his seat, with every major party refusing to stand.
Last refreshed: 26 July 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why is a comedian in a wheelie-bin costume the only person standing against Farage?
Timeline for Count Binface
Placed second as the leading challenger, with under a third of Farage's vote
UK Local Elections 2026: Farage wins Clacton back by 12,784 votesClacton's non-Farage vote fell by 11,861
UK Local Elections 2026Polled ahead of Farage in a national head-to-head preference survey
UK Local Elections 2026: Clacton by-election set for 13 AugustDeclared as the sole other candidate standing against Farage
UK Local Elections 2026: Farage to quit Clacton and refight itMentioned in: Every party but Binface boycotts Farage
UK Local Elections 2026Background
Count Binface is the satirical alter ego of comedian Jon Harvey, a recurring "unity candidate" who has stood in a string of high-profile UK by-elections and general contests since 2019, most often against sitting or resigning MPs seeking to renew their mandate.
His campaigns run on joke manifestos, but function as a genuine protest-vote outlet in seats where the mainstream parties judge a serious challenge is not worth the exposure. He has previously stood against Boris Johnson in Uxbridge, Theresa May in Maidenhead, and Andy Burnham in Makerfield, each time trailing the winner comfortably.
That pattern makes him a barometer for when major parties decide a fight isn't worth having: at Clacton in July 2026 he was Left as the only declared opponent to Nigel Farage's attempt to renew his own mandate.
Binface stands alone in Clacton
Binface filed for Clacton on 7 July, the day Nigel Farage resigned the seat to refight it himself at Reform UK's expense. By the close of that day every party with the machinery to mount a serious challenge had ruled itself out, several saying they were holding their fire for a general election, and Binface was left as the sole declared opponent.
It is the pattern his candidacies have followed since 2019: he contests the vacancies the major parties calculate are not worth the exposure. The by-election was set for 13 August, and a national Ipsos poll put him ahead of Farage on pure name recognition, 33% to 21% - a measure of fame, not of who Clacton will actually elect.
Who is Count Binface?
Is Count Binface standing against Nigel Farage in Clacton?
How many votes did Count Binface get in Makerfield?
