{"id":36341,"date":"2026-08-10T11:10:57","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T06:10:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=36341"},"modified":"2026-08-10T11:10:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T06:10:57","slug":"count-binface-the-man-in-a-can-with-a-plan-seeks-parliament-seat-in-britains-wackiest-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=36341","title":{"rendered":"Count Binface, the man in a can with a plan, seeks Parliament seat in Britain&#8217;s wackiest election"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2026%2F08%2F136966667.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Timing is everything in comedy and, so it seems, in British politics for a perennial joke candidate who wears a garbage can on his head.<\/p>\n<p>Count Binface, a self-described intergalactic space warrior, has landed in the center of the UK\u2019s political universe ahead of a special election Thursday that was derided as a farce long before the ballot was packed with nearly three dozen candidates \u2014 many from the silly end of the spectrum.<\/p>\n<p>Binface, who has run against prime ministers past and present, was the first to throw his bucket in the ring when\u00a0Reform UK\u00a0leader\u00a0Nigel Farage\u00a0abruptly quit Parliament and said he would seek reelection to clear his name over financial allegations.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Count Binface is interviewed at a studio in London on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.  <span class=\"credit\">AP Photo\/Kirsty Wigglesworth<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cGame on, Nige,\u201d Binface declared soon after Farage, portraying himself as the victim of a witch hunt, said he would <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/07\/world-news\/nigel-farage-reveals-hes-quitting-parliament-but-will-run-again-in-re-election-i-will-fight-to-win\/\">represent the people against the establishment<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But when the major political parties denounced Farage\u2019s move as a political stunt and boycotted the Clacton-on-Sea election in southeastern England, the trash-talking comedian was launched into prime position as default challenger. He has been on a nonstop media blitz since.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m the only fresh thing on the menu,\u201d Binface told The Associated Press on a day of interviews with reporters from Japan, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany. \u201cYou\u2019re all sick of these politicians, as good as they\u2019re trying to be, but you know you need something different, a little bit of secret sauce.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The jokes have continued nearly nonstop \u2014 and not all are coming from the man in the can with a 20-point plan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf (Farage) wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won\u2019t stop him,\u201d then-Treasury Secretary Rachel Reeves, known more for number-crunching than playing for yuks, said as she officially accepted Farage\u2019s resignation and set the stage for the special election.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Count Binface leaves after being interviewed at a studio in London ahead of the Clacton by-election on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.  <span class=\"credit\">AP Photo\/Kirsty Wigglesworth<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The man behind the mask is a comedian who keeps a lid on his identity<\/h4>\n<p>Under Binface\u2019s black cape, rubbish bin and ample body armor that looks straight out of a low-budget sci-fi film, is a middle-aged comedian named Jon Harvey trying to keep his cool during a sweaty summer.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019d never know who was in there from talking to his alter ego. Binface never breaks character and delivers snarky ripostes when challenged to lift the lid.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHas anyone here seen \u2018Return of the Jedi\u2019?\u201d he said to a BBC host in reference to the \u201cStar Wars\u201d sequel where Darth Vader is unmasked. \u201cNobody wants to know what\u2019s under the recycling. \u2026 It\u2019s absolutely putrefying.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>A supporter of Count Binface in Clacton-on-Sea, Britain, on Saturday, Aug.8, 2026. <span class=\"credit\">NEIL HALL\/EPA\/Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Harvey is a married father of two who grew up in London and studied the classics at Oxford. He has been a TV writer on the political comedy \u201cThe Thick of It\u201d and the humorous news quiz \u201cHave I Got News for You.\u201d He\u2019s the author of a sports memoir written after his brother\u2019s death and Binface\u2019s memoir: \u201cWhat on Earth? An Alien\u2019s Guide to Fixing Britain.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Binface was born out of a copyright dispute over a bucket<\/h4>\n<p>In a country where almost any adult citizen can run for office \u2014 regardless of where they live \u2014 eccentric candidates are a celebrated electoral tradition. On the 3-foot-long Clacton ballot, there are no fewer than three members of the Monster Raving Loony Party, including Nick the Incredible Flying Brick and Baron von Thunderclap.<\/p>\n<p>Harvey\u2019s turn in politics began almost a decade ago when he blasted to earth from the so-called planet of Sigma IX as Lord Buckethead to run for the House of Commons seat held by then-Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May. She won handily, but Binface rocketed to fame and landed on \u201cLast Week Tonight with John Oliver.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"single__inline-module inline-module inline-module--newsletter aligncenter inline-module--nypostbusinessunit aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-newsletter\" data-source-unit=\"Inline Newsletter Module Morning Report\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__title-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__unsubmitted-title-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"inline-module__cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>But the use of Buckethead, borrowed from a \u201cStar Wars\u201d parody, ended in \u201can unfortunate battle on the planet Copyright.\u201d He was reincarnated as Binface to take on Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak.<\/p>\n<p>He twice challenged London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who proclaimed in his 2024 victory speech that he was the first person in British politics to win successive victories over Binface.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBelieve me, he made me work hard for it,\u201d Khan quipped.<\/p>\n<p>In June, Binface lost a parliamentary special election to Andy Burnham, who quickly replaced Keir Starmer as prime minister when he was forced out after his Labour Party was battered by Farage\u2019s party in local and regional elections.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Platform includes a dubious tax policy and a hot take on hand dryers<\/h4>\n<p>Binface, leader of the \u201cRecyclons\u201d on his home planet, continues to reuse items of past campaign manifestos that feature a mix of absurd and hyper-local policy offerings that don\u2019t necessarily resonate with a global audience.<\/p>\n<p>Among the more relatable points, he promises to \u201ccut your taxes, and raise everyone else\u2019s,\u201d build one affordable home and nationalize singer Adele \u2014 whatever that means.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Leaflets in support of Count Binface are seen on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Clacton-on-Sea, United Kingdom. <span class=\"credit\">NEIL HALL\/EPA\/Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>One item that has raised some eyebrows is a vow to relocate the hand dryer in the men\u2019s restroom at the Crown &amp; Treaty pub in Uxbridge to a more sensible location.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you want to be using the urinal and have another human blasting your bits with insanely hot air?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>His main selling point is that he\u2019s not Farage, though he has opted not to directly attack his main opponent. Instead, his platform takes not-so-subtle digs at the populist often pictured with a pint of beer.<\/p>\n<p>In reference to the gift Farage did not declare when he was elected, which is the source of a parliamentary investigation, Binface said he would not accept $6.7-million gifts from \u201ccrypto billionaires (on Earth).\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He would also bar members of Parliament who resign midterm from running in the subsequent by-election and promised to spend more time in Clacton than Washington, DC, a reference to Farage\u2019s trips to the U.S., where he considers President Donald Trump an ally.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>A supporter wears an election rosette in support of Count Binface on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Clacton-on-Sea, Britain. <span class=\"credit\">NEIL HALL\/EPA\/Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Candidate seeks a more perfect union with the United States<\/h4>\n<p>Binface, if elected, has no interest in dealing with Trump: \u201cHe\u2019s awful.\u201d But he would \u201clove to cement\u201d the so-called special relationship between Britain and the US \u201cwith a galactic union.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve still got the Atlantic Ocean. I can\u2019t do much about that, but yes, I\u2019d love to foster better relations,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Binface has conceded he doesn\u2019t expect to win, but if he pulls off an otherworldly upset, he would have to check his headgear at the door of the House of Commons under rules that bar costumes and require businesslike attire.<\/p>\n<p>He said some members of Parliament have been discussing making an exception.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou might think they should be trying to fix the British economy, healthcare system and infrastructure first,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>But those are issues for serious politicians and not ones you\u2019ll find on a platform that includes price caps for croissants and a plan to punish scofflaw cyclists by making them ride unicycles.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Timing is everything in comedy and, so it seems, in British politics for a perennial joke candidate who wears a garbage can on his head. Count Binface, a self-described intergalactic space warrior, has landed in the center of the UK\u2019s political universe ahead of a special election Thursday that was derided as a farce long&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/136966667.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36341"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36341\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/36342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}