Count Binface becomes Nigel Farage’s only confirmed challenger in Clacton

Asked how he will appeal to the people of Clacton-on-Sea in the upcoming by-election, Count Binface replied quick as a flash: ‘Well, I’m not Nigel Farage’.

The viral political star – formerly known as Lord Buckethead – first found fame for challenging PMs Theresa May and Boris Johnson in their own constituencies. He is normally seen in the background of the winning speeches a bizarre quirk of British democracy.

Now the Count is the only alien strong enough to head off Farage with just weeks to go the Reform UK leader could spend all summer arguing with a bin.

His hilarious election manifesto wants to cap the price of croissants at £1, and force former prime ministers to do national service.

Binface demanded the other major parties stand down, and said: ‘I will be a unity candidate and pledge to build at least one affordable house. Nigel Farage says he wants the people versus the establishment. So be it. Leave him to me.’

So, who is he 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 stand-up comedian and author.

Born in Croydon, and a huge Crystal Palace fan Harvey has worked on political satires like the BBC’s The Thick of It, Have I Got News for You and Time Trumpet. 

He has also presented for Times Radio.

In 2019 the New Yorker hailed him for creating one of the ‘Jokes of the Year’ with his Succession parody Recession, subbing in Boris Johnson’s family.

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.

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.’

What is Count Binface’s Clacton election manifesto?

Clacton-on-Sea is a deprived Essex town facing many of the issues typical of a British seaside town. Housing, drug-dealing, cuckooing and a rise in county lines violence, coupled with as much as 18 years lower life expectancy than wealthier parts of the county.

So to the people of Clacton, becoming an MP is no laughing matter.

But Count Binface hasn’t unveiled a dedicated manifesto for the Clacton by-election just yet.

He has previously promised to cut taxes for supporters while raising them for everyone else, cap the prices of ice creams and kebabs.

Others take on mundane aspects of British life and improve local traffic flow, reliable train Wi‑Fi, (as well as trains that actually run) and the abolition of automatic subscription renewals.

He wants to conscript people who use speakerphones on public transport and force cyclists who ignore the Highway Code to ride unicycles. He wants to ban VAR and enter himself as the UK’s Eurovision 2027 contestant.

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 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.

‘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. 

In Uxbridge, he called out the Conservatives for botching Brexit, mishandling a pandemic, breaking the NHS, filling the seas and rivers with excrement and being ‘outperformed by a lettuce’.

He got just 308 votes in the 2024 General Election, taking on Rishi Sunak but only 95 against Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election.

But with no other non-Farage rivals in sight this number will surely skyrocket.