Reform UK discussion

[Broucek]

I think Binface could win. Farage is popular in Essex but the people who want to vote against him may be more motivated....

 

[Tetchytyke]

There is, but it really doesn’t help public confidence when Sue Gray then began working for the political opposition of the man she just censured.

And was then promptly pushed out barely a couple of months later by McSweeney in a willy-waving contest. He, in turn, was pushed out when it became undeniable that he was rather too closely linked to the Prince of Darkness.

Possibly more for the Starmer/Labour thread. But with his main opponent showing such amazing political nous, it's quite frankly amazing that Farage isn't further ahead in the opinion polls.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Jul 2026 ==

I think Binface could win.

I do too, actually. I don't think he actually would win, but it could be close enough to be embarrassing.

It was close but Farage didn't win a majority in 2024. If everyone in the constituency who didn't vote for him before is suddenly motivated to vote for a comedian with a bin on his head...

 

[BAFRA77]

Not only a bin on his head - but wearing a set of American Football shoulder pads as well

 

[Broucek]

Binface wants severe sanctions for people playing music over phone speakers on public transport. I could get behind that....

 

[thenorthern]

I think Binface could win. Farage is popular in Essex but the people who want to vote against him may be more motivated....

I do too, actually. I don't think he actually would win, but it could be close enough to be embarrassing.

It was close but Farage didn't win a majority in 2024. If everyone in the constituency who didn't vote for him before is suddenly motivated to vote for a comedian with a bin on his head...

I think the fact that Binface is a satirical candidate will put too many voters off as it's a vote for the unknown.

Back in 2010 however Nigel Farage stood in Buckingham and got less votes than a bloke dressed as a dolphin but both lost to the then speaker John Bercow. While the dolphin was somewhat satirical, it was chosen because John Bercow had "flipped" his main residence, which was revealed in the MPs expenses scandal.

Interestingly, the Dolphin was John Stevens who is now a member of the Rejoin EU party and stood for them in the Runcorn by election earlier this year. Rejoin EU hinted on Twitter last night they would stand so we might have a re-run of Nigel Farage v Dolphin.

@RejoinP
·
22h

#Clacton, we need you!

We’re looking for someone to stand as the Rejoin EU Party’s Parliamentary candidate.

Passion for Clacton

Passion for Britain

Passion for Europe

admin@therejoineuparty.com

Together, we can build something better.

The Rejoin EU Party (@RejoinP) on X

#Clacton, we need you! We’re looking for someone to stand as the Rejoin EU Party’s Parliamentary candidate. ✅ Passion for Clacton ✅ Passion for Britain ✅ Passion for Europe admin@therejoineuparty.com ❤️ Together, we can build something better.

x.com

 

[gg1]

I think the fact that Binface is a satirical candidate will put too many voters off as it's a vote for the unknown.

Never underestimate the British sense of humour.

In any case, any vote for a candidate who isn't either the incumbent or has held a political office previously is a vote for the unknown to a degree, you don't know if they'll be a good MP until they're elected. Also Count Binface is up against a man who has already proven himself to be an appalling constituency MP.

Back in 2010 however Nigel Farage stood in Buckingham and got less votes than a bloke dressed as a dolphin but both lost to the then speaker John Bercow. While the dolphin was somewhat satirical, it was chosen because John Bercow had "flipped" his main residence, which was revealed in the MPs expenses scandal.

Interestingly, the Dolphin was John Stevens who is now a member of the Rejoin EU party and stood for them in the Runcorn by election earlier this year. Rejoin EU hinted on Twitter last night they would stand so we might have a re-run of Nigel Farage v Dolphin.

Not really comparable IMO.

It was a GE, not a publicity stunt by the sitting MP
Farage is far more divisive than Bercow, which makes the prospect of humiliating him by losing to a man with a bin on his head far more appealing.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Binface wants severe sanctions for people playing music over phone speakers on public transport. I could get behind that....

He had me at nationalising model railways.

Anyway, I've changed my mind, Count Binface can't win. He's just been endorsed by Kemi Badenoch. Kiss of death.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/07/08/count-binface-is-the-peoples-candidate-says-kemi-badenoch/

Count Binface is the people’s candidate at the Clacton by-election, Kemi Badenoch has said.

The self-described intergalactic space warrior appeared to receive the backing of the Tory leader after confirming that he would stand against Nigel Farage in the coming weeks.

Mrs Badenoch said: “If it’s the people versus the establishment, I think Nigel Farage might be looking like the establishment, and Count Binface may be the people.”

 

[The exile]

I think the fact that Binface is a satirical candidate will put too many voters off as it's a vote for the unknown.

Not sure that really applies in a by-election. There’s no (immediate) possibility of a binface government. The difficulty would be to get the ball rolling without there being an obviously consorted “anti-Farage” campaign - as that will only give him masses of ammunition whichever way the vote goes.

 

[nlogax]

Bet ol' Binfeatures wasn't expecting to become a potential poster child for serious tactical voting. This whole thing is bonkers and will ultimately fuel multiple series of HIGNFY and The News Quiz for a decade.

 

[daveo]

It would probably suit Farage to lose the by-election. He could earn money elsewhere but still stay in the public eye. He could legitimately continue to broadcast on GB News, write his weekly columns, and not have the distraction of having to deal with constituent issues.

Come the 2029 election, he would stand once more in a suitable seat, be seen as the leader of Reform, and his supporters would get him his role as Prime Minister.

And he'll be able to ride HS3 to Westminster!

 

[The Ham]

The thing is Count Binface doesn't need to win too embarrase Farage.

With no serious parties standing he should walk it and get over 80%, if however he doesn't and Count Binface gets much more than 10% (and anything more than 50% of what Farage gets should be utterly humiliating) and it's not a great outcome when more than 1 in 10 people will vote for a comic candidate.

It could get very worrying if Count Binface received 10% of those registered to vote as it makes a recall petition likely to trigger another by-election.

Of course, turn out is likely to be fairly low.

On a unrelated matter, how many people could reasonably register to vote in a 1 bed property as 6 months rent would be under £4,000:

Check out this 1 bedroom detached bungalow for rent on Rightmove

1 bedroom detached bungalow for rent in Sea Crescent, Jaywick, CO15 for £625 pcm. Marketed by Sheen's, Clacton-on-sea

www.rightmove.co.uk

 

[quantinghome]

Not sure that really applies in a by-election. There’s no (immediate) possibility of a binface government. The difficulty would be to get the ball rolling without there being an obviously consorted “anti-Farage” campaign - as that will only give him masses of ammunition whichever way the vote goes.

These things can develop a momentum all of their own. Boaty McBoatface started off as an offhand joke from a local DJ and won the poll. And perhaps more relevant, Stewart Drummond aka H'Angus the Monkey (the Hartlepool United mascot for those who don't remember) stood as Hartlepool Mayor as a publicity stunt for the club, did no campaigning (other than offering free bananas for school children) and was promptly elected. Then re-elected. Twice.

 

[AlterEgo]

It would be funnier and more effective if the novelty candidates didn't stand. Farage uncontested and with no opportunity to claim any sort of renewed mandate through a test of public opinion would be more damaging to him. As it is, we will get liminal fascist Lozza Fox of the Divorced Dad party and one or two unfunny attention seekers like Binface.

 

[Tetchytyke]

one or two unfunny attention seekers like Binface

Humour is very subjective but I defy anyone to watch his interview with Sky's Jon Craig after the Makerfield count without laughing:

 

[brad465]

The thing is Count Binface doesn't need to win too embarrase Farage.

With no serious parties standing he should walk it and get over 80%, if however he doesn't and Count Binface gets much more than 10% (and anything more than 50% of what Farage gets should be utterly humiliating) and it's not a great outcome when more than 1 in 10 people will vote for a comic candidate.

It could get very worrying if Count Binface received 10% of those registered to vote as it makes a recall petition likely to trigger another by-election.

Of course, turn out is likely to be fairly low.

On a unrelated matter, how many people could reasonably register to vote in a 1 bed property as 6 months rent would be under £4,000:

Check out this 1 bedroom detached bungalow for rent on Rightmove

1 bedroom detached bungalow for rent in Sea Crescent, Jaywick, CO15 for £625 pcm. Marketed by Sheen's, Clacton-on-sea

www.rightmove.co.uk

The vibe that has built around Count Binface is already huge, to the point that a strong feeling he is a serious prospect for winning exists, and vibes are a big deal in politics. This doesn't mean he will win, but this has already done enough to humiliate Farage and I wouldn't be surprised if Farage does a "FACO"

 

[The Ham]

Humour is very subjective but I defy anyone to watch his interview with Sky's Jon Craig after the Makerfield count without laughing:

And there's a lot of good policies like renaming HS2 to FFS1 (and I think people on both sides of the debate are likely to agree that it's not gone as well as it should and so such a title isn't unreasonable).

Likewise, who can disagree with the policy of building at least one affordable house.

 

[dosxuk]

It would be funnier and more effective if the novelty candidates didn't stand. Farage uncontested and with no opportunity to claim any sort of renewed mandate through a test of public opinion would be more damaging to him. As it is, we will get liminal fascist Lozza Fox of the Divorced Dad party and one or two unfunny attention seekers like Binface.

One difference with Binface and the normal novelty candidates is that he has a day job that already taps into public feeling. While he's being described as a comedian in the press, he does a lot of TV / radio work in his non-Binface persona - https://jondharvey.com/ - including producing the Have I Got News For You end-of-year compilations and writing for Only Connect, and a whole host of radio work.

 

[Sorcerer]

If this really comes down to Nigel Farage vs Count Binface he won't be able to claim much of a victory simply because his only opposition is a joke candidate no matter the percentage. It'd be the equivalent of bragging about beating a blind man in a game of darts.

 

[gg1]

Comedy gold from the most unlikely source imaginable, Rachel Reeves:


[Image Description - Screenshot of a tweet from Rachel Reeves quoted below]

I will accept Nigel Farage’s request to be appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead. It is a farce and a desperate distraction, and the people of Clacton deserve better. But if he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won't stop him.

 

[AlterEgo]

If this really comes down to Nigel Farage vs Count Binface he won't be able to claim much of a victory simply because his only opposition is a joke candidate no matter the percentage. It'd be the equivalent of bragging about beating a blind man in a game of darts.

Not at all. Binface is the de facto opposition and this now becomes an approval contest. It wouldn't be if nobody stood at all.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Presumably if it does come down to a head to head between Binface and Farage it'll be marketed boxing grudge match stylee as "the Count versus the c***"?

 

[35B]

Not at all. Binface is the de facto opposition and this now becomes an approval contest. It wouldn't be if nobody stood at all.

True up to a point - but if NF doesn't get himself Saddam-esque approval ratings in a one horse race, it will stick a very large pin in his over-inflated balloon.

It's not just whether you win, but how much you win by that counts - the best case study being Thatcher's win in the 1st round of the 1990 Tory Leadership election

 

[Howardh]

One thing in Bin's favour is if he gets into parliament, as an one-off individual MP he can't really cause any harm, so all those wanting to vote against Farage have the perfect route, whereas if, say, the Greens stood against Farage, those anti-Farages might also not like green policies so they would be stuck.

My unsocial media streams are absolutely chokker with this by-election; the vast majority pro-Bin. Has the election caught the public's attention enough to bring about the dismissal of Farage?

 

[gg1]

Not at all. Binface is the de facto opposition and this now becomes an approval contest. It wouldn't be if nobody stood at all.

That would never happen though. There will always be minor political parties and independents standing at by-elections, especially one as high profile as this.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The vibe that has built around Count Binface is already huge, to the point that a strong feeling he is a serious prospect for winning exists, and vibes are a big deal in politics.

Definitely agree about vibes being importan.

Liz Truss wasn't sunk by the technical details of her economic policy, or even the obvious financial consequences of that economic policy. Liz Truss was sunk because she became the punchline to the Daily Star's joke about a lettuce.

Farage knew this was a gamble but I wonder whether he's thought about any unintended consequences? He's so full of ego I can well imagine he thought all the parties would wheel out their big guns to try and defeat him. I may be wrong but I don't get the feeling he thought his only opponent would be a novelty act. The latter is possibly more damaging- once you're seen as a joke, you can't really turn it back.

Not at all. Binface is the de facto opposition and this now becomes an approval contest. It wouldn't be if nobody stood at all.

I'm not sure.

Is it more or less ridiculous to be conducting hustings to an empty room or to be conducting hustings with a man who has a bin on his head?

I'm sure the Reform activists will be raking over Jon Harvey's past to try and show him as some sort of metropolitan elitist wanker. He worked for the BBC! He wrote jokes for HIGNFY! It might even work. But being more popular than a man with a bin on his head isn't really much of a flex.

 

[martin butler]

One thing in Bin's favour is if he gets into parliament, as an one-off individual MP he can't really cause any harm, so all those wanting to vote against Farage have the perfect route, whereas if, say, the Greens stood against Farage, those anti-Farages might also not like green policies so they would be stuck.

My unsocial media streams are absolutely chokker with this by-election; the vast majority pro-Bin. Has the election caught the public's attention enough to bring about the dismissal of Farage?

Is there enough anti Farage votes though to defeat him, because you can be sure the right wing / bot farm operation will swing into full gear, in an attempt to persuade voters of Clacton, to re-elect him, despite his poor record of attendance and support for his constituency .

 

[muz379]

Is there enough anti Farage votes though to defeat him, because you can be sure the right wing / bot farm operation will swing into full gear, in an attempt to persuade voters of Clacton, to re-elect him, despite his poor record of attendance and support for his constituency .

Probably not, but then calling a by-election in summer isn’t going to do wonders for turnout, and even if Farage wins, it gives people chance to poke holes if he hasn't inspired a record turnout or increased the number of votes.

The whole thing also makes Reform look silly, spending their summer in Clacton trying to convince a load of people they have no interest in that they shouldn't vote for a guy going about with a bin on his head isn't exactly a good use of party resources. I'd be a bit miffed if I was running for Mayor of Manchester for Reform right now for example.

 

[thenorthern]

Given that Westminster goes on summer recess next week they will have to issue a writ soon otherwise Nigel Farage will have to spend the summer campaigning.

Given he "resigned" a chancellor cannot issue a writ during the summer recess as per the Recess Elections Act 1975 due to this clause.

Recess by-elections cannot be held if an MP resigns (by accepting one of the disqualifying offices of the Chiltern Hundreds or Manor of Northstead). They also cannot be held if an MP loses their seat after being unseated by a recall petition or if they are disqualified because they have been convicted of a crime and imprisoned for more than a year. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn00529/

 

[35B]

One thing in Bin's favour is if he gets into parliament, as an one-off individual MP he can't really cause any harm, so all those wanting to vote against Farage have the perfect route, whereas if, say, the Greens stood against Farage, those anti-Farages might also not like green policies so they would be stuck.

My unsocial media streams are absolutely chokker with this by-election; the vast majority pro-Bin. Has the election caught the public's attention enough to bring about the dismissal of Farage?

How many people are actually driving that frenzy? And how many of those on your streams are resident in the Clacton constituency, though? There are something like 75,000 people registered to vote there - I'd be surprised if the social media frenzy touched more than a few hundred.

 

[syorksdeano]

So who's expecting more to come out about Farage this weekend?