Who is Count Binface and what is his manifesto for the General Election?

The General Election’s most unusual candidate is space warrior Count Binface – a staple of elections at this point.

The viral political star – formerly known as Lord Buckethead – first found fame for challenging PMs Theresa May and Boris Johnson.

Now the Count is standing in the General Election just two months after his bid in the race for the London mayor.

His hilarious election manifesto wants to cap the price of croissants at £1.10, and force former prime ministers to do national service.

Count Binface is the only intergalactic candidate of this General Election (Picture: Aaron Chown/PA Wire)

Count Binface hopes to unseat Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in his North Yorkshire constituency. 

So, who is he, why is he no longer named Lord Buckethead and what he stands for? Here’s all you need to know.

Who is Count Binface?

Count Binface describes himself as ‘an intergalactic space warrior and leader of the Recyclons from planet Sigma IX’.

But the man behind the mask is actually Jon Harvey, a comedian and writer.

On Count Binface’s official website, Harvey writes that his alter-ego is an ‘intergalactic space warrior who stood against Theresa May in 2017 and went viral (in a non-Covid way)’.

He then went on to challenge PM Boris Johnson’s seat as MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, which the PM has held since 2015.

Count Binface posed with revelers at Glastonbury held at Worthy Farm, Somerset (Picture: Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

After an unsuccessful bid, the Count threw his ‘metal’ hat (head?) in the ring for the 2021 London mayor election, where he received 24,775 votes.

He was hoping to win the London mayoral race held on May 2, but he failed to beat Sadiq Khan.

But the Count beat the Britain First candidate Nick Scanlon – 24,260 for the Count against Scanlon’s 20,519 votes.

He surprised the crowds at Glastonbury Festival with an appearance on stage to deliver his political promises at Park Stage.

Hello Glastonbury! pic.twitter.com/YjYzJp84lT

— Count Binface (@CountBinface) June 29, 2024

One supporter commented on X after the Count posted about his Glasto stunt on social media: ‘Thing is, I like his policies.’

Another one said: ‘At last someone at Glastonbury who I want to see.’

What is Count Binface’s 2024 election manifesto?

The Count joined the leading parties by releasing his pledges in the weeks leading up to July 4.

His manifesto has 24 points, some more unusual than others.

He pledged for all water company bosses to take a dip in British rivers to ‘see how they like it,’ the reintroduction of Ceefax and ‘trains that work.’ 

If the Count has his way, we would welcome European countries to join the UK for a new ‘Union of Europe.’

The satirist wants to ban loud snacks from cinemas and theatres and build ‘at least one affordable house.’

Why did he change his name from Lord Buckethead?

Until 2018, Count Binface was known as Lord Buckethead – with many wondering why he changed his name.

Unluckily, it seems comedian Jon Harvey wound up in a copyright dispute over the character with US-based filmmaker Todd Durham.

Lord Buckethead first appeared in Durham’s 1984 sci-fi film Hyperspace – a Star Wars parody of sorts – as an intergalactic villain.

A few years after the film’s release, a version of Lord Buckethead – not played by Jon – went on to stand in the 1987 and 1992 UK general elections.

This Lord Buckethead was played by Mike Lee, the owner of the company that looked after UK distribution for the film, which was called Gremloids here.

Seemingly, this was an approved usage for the character.

But after Jon Harvey’s unofficial portrayal went viral in 2017, a legal dispute cropped up.

As the Count himself writes on his website: ‘In 2018 I had an unfortunate battle on the planet Copyright.

‘An elderly American human film producer took my Twitter account off me after I got famous.

‘So I had an upgrade and took on Boris Johnson in the 2019 election in my new and improved form, Count Binface.

‘I’m still your friendly neighbourhood space warrior campaigning for justice, lasers, Lovejoy and the return of Ceefax.’

A new, seemingly-approved performer took over the role of Lord Buckethead in 2019 and ran against Count Binface. 

How many times has Count Binface run in elections?

Count Binface has only run for mayor once before, in 2021.

He has, however, run in other elections, including in the 2019 general election.

He was a candidate in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, which was former prime minister Boris Johnson’s seat at the time.

He ran again in the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election in 2023, which was triggered when Johnson resigned as an MP.

How many votes has Count Binface received in previous elections?

In the 2019 general election, Count Binface got 69 votes. He was beaten by the new Lord Buckethead, who got 125 votes.

He came ninth in the 2021 elections with 24,775 first-choice votes, defeating Piers Corbyn and UKIP in the process.

The re-elected London mayor Sadiq Khan consoled Count Binface after he failed to beat him (Picture: Peter Nicholls/Getty Images)

‘This is a new record for an alien standing for public office on planet Earth,’ he said.

In the 2023 Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election, he got 190 votes, defeating Piers Corbyn and UKIP again, as well as the Official Monster Raving Loony Party. 

Now Count Binface will be among the candidates biting his nails after the polling stations close at 10pm tonight before the first counts are revealed, which could be as soon as 11.30pm.

Elizabeth Baker