{"id":2644277,"date":"2026-08-13T08:59:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T12:59:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/from-count-binface-to-elmo-the-british-tradition-of-novelty-candidates\/"},"modified":"2026-08-13T09:11:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T13:11:59","slug":"from-count-binface-to-elmo-the-british-tradition-of-novelty-candidates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/from-count-binface-to-elmo-the-british-tradition-of-novelty-candidates\/","title":{"rendered":"From Count Binface to Elmo: The British tradition of novelty candidates"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffrom-count-binface-to-elmo-the-british-tradition-of-novelty-candidates%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2644277&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, is likely to win the upcoming election in Clacton-on-Sea unopposed from mainstream parties, facing onyl a novelty candidate, Count Binface, who polls around 20%. Count Binface, a persona of comedian Jon Harvey, has campaigned on a platform emphasizing tax cuts, affordable housing, adn anti-crypto billionaire sentiments, also making pointed jabs at Farage. Binface&#8217;s participation in elections is part of a longstanding British tradition of joke candidates, with ancient figures like Screaming Lord Sutch&#8217;s monster Raving Loony Party representing an ongoing protest vote avenue. The election landscape includes various humorous and satirical candidates, such as the &#8216;Give Me Back Elmo&#8217; party&#8217;s Bobby Smith, who campaigns for fathers&#8217; rights dressed as Elmo to highlight family issues. Some joke candidates, like Binface, receive notable endorsements, including from political figures like Keir Starmer, who dismissed binface\u2019s candidacy with a humorous remark. the UK electoral scene continues to feature a diverse mix of serious and satirical candidates, illustrating a tradition of turning elections into both political statements and comedic spectacles.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reform UK party leader <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/nigel-farage\/\">Nigel Farage <\/a>is set to walk away with the election in Clacton-on-Sea, where he is running without competition from any other mainstream party.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His only opposition comes from the costumed, other-worldly <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4639718\/count-binface-nigel-farage-clacton-by-election\/\">joke candidate known as Count Binface<\/a> \u2014 the alter ego of British comedian Jon Harvey. Dressed in a spacesuit and trashcan-inspired helmet, Binface is <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.the-independent.com\/news\/uk\/politics\/clacton-by-election-polls-nigel-farage-count-binface-b3030895.html\">polling around 20%<\/a>. It\u2019s a respectable showing for a self-described \u201calien\u201d and \u201cspace warrior,\u201d but he has little chance of overcoming his rival, who is polling at 73%.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4684943\/count-binface-elmo-british-tradition-novelty-candidates\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>From Count Binface to Elmo: The British tradition of novelty candidates<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4684971\/nypd-backtracks-security-rama-duwaji-mamdani-middle-east-trip\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>NYPD backtracks on providing security for Mamdani\u2019s wife during travel to Middle East<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4683175\/taiwan-throttles-internet-test-communications-anti-china-military-drills\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Taiwan throttles internet to test \u2018communications resilience\u2019 during annual anti-China military drills<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\">Count Binface leaves after being interviewed at a studio in London ahead of the Clacton by-election, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. (AP Photo\/Kirsty Wigglesworth)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/08\/localimages\/AP26212321975124.jpg?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Count Binface leaves after being interviewed at a studio in London ahead of the Clacton by-election, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. (AP Photo\/Kirsty Wigglesworth)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The count released a manifesto at the end of last month, outlining a two-point platform including promises to \u201ccut your taxes, and raise everyone else\u2019s\u201d and \u201cbuild at least one affordable house.\u201d Several of the manifesto points were thinly veiled digs at Farage, such as Binface\u2019s promise to \u201cspend more time in Clacton-on-Sea than in Washington D.C.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Binface also pledged not to \u201caccept \u00a35 million gifts from crypto-billionaires (on Earth)\u201d \u2014 a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4638505\/nigel-farage-resign-parliament-run-again-by-election\/\">reference to the financial scandal <\/a>that got his Reform rival in this position to begin with.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Clacton-on-Sea is hardly Binface\u2019s first foray into electoral politics. He previously stood for office in Makerfield in June against Andy Burnham, who defeated him and went on to become the prime minister last month. Before that, he ran in the 2019 and 2024 general elections, as well as two London mayoral elections.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Binface is not particularly unique in his shtick. When the count stood against Burnham in the Makerfield election in June, he was also running against ecological activist Robert Pownall, who dressed in a janky fox costume and carried a piece of paper that read \u201cProtect British Wildlife.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The United Kingdom has, for decades, been replete with joke candidates seeking to turn democratic elections into comic spectacles.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\">Sir Oink A-Lot, The Official Monster Raving Loony Party candidate, arrives as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pennsylvania-county-set-to-perform-2020-election-recount-next-year\/\" title=\"Pennsylvania County Set To Perform 2020 Election Recount Next Year\">count takes place<\/a> in the Gorton and Denton by-election, in Manchester, England, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (AP Photo\/Jon Super)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/08\/localimages\/AP26058001370700.jpg?w=696&#8243; height=&#8221;683&#8243; width=&#8221;1024&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sir Oink A-Lot, The Official Monster Raving Loony Party candidate, arrives as the count takes place in the Gorton and Denton by-election, in Manchester, England, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (AP Photo\/Jon Super)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">British musician <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/news\/1999\/jun\/19\/guardianobituaries.nigelfountain\">Screaming Lord Sutch <\/a>founded the Official Monster Raving Loony Party in 1982 as a vehicle for protest voters. Sutch had been standing for office since the 1960\u2019s with a revolving door of intentionally insane policy proposals. The OMRLP continues to exist and has platformed a rogues gallery of joke candidates ranging from the Mad Cow-Girl to Lord Toby Jug.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHowling Laud Hope,\u201d the comedic persona of OMRLP party leader Alan Hope, is the only member of the party ever to win an election after running unopposed for Ashburton Town Council in 1987.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2024, businessman Steve Endacott debuted the country\u2019s first candidate powered by artificial intelligence \u2014 \u201cAI Steve.\u201d Endacott pushed the AI persona in that year\u2019s Brighton Pavilion election as the \u201conly candidate who can have a conversation with 45,000 constituents at the same time and form policies based on what\u2019s just been discussed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m gutted after working my \u2018chips off\u2019 talking to 20,000 people over the last two weeks, but I must look to the future and hope I\u2019m making a contribution to democracy,\u201d the artificial intelligence candidate said in its <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ai-steve.co.uk\/ai-steve-admits-brighton-pavilion-election-defeat\/\">resignation statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">The leader of Britain\u2019s Official Monster Raving Loony Party (OMRLP) Howling Laud Hope, poses for photographers en route to give a television interview in London, Friday, May 1, 2015.  Britain goes to the polls in a General Election on May 7.  (AP Photo\/Matt Dunham)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/08\/localimages\/AP999047944105.jpg?w=696&#8243; height=&#8221;683&#8243; width=&#8221;1024&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The leader of Britain\u2019s Official Monster Raving Loony Party (OMRLP), Howling Laud Hope, poses for photographers en route to give a television interview in London, Friday, May 1, 2015. Britain goes to the polls in a General Election on May 7. (AP Photo\/Matt Dunham)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some joke candidates carry an air of tragedy in their antics, such as the recurring appearance of Elmo in elections across the British Isles.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\">Bobby Smith, a political and fathers\u2019 rights activist and founder and leader of the \u2018Give Me Back Elmo\u2019 party watches as Britain\u2019s Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Boris Johnson speaks after the Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency count declaration at Brunel University in Uxbridge, London, Friday, Dec. 13, 2019. (AP Photo\/Kirsty Wigglesworth)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/08\/localimages\/AP19347158641340.jpg?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bobby Smith, a political and fathers\u2019 rights activist and founder and leader of the \u2018Give Me Back Elmo\u2019 party, watches as Britain\u2019s Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Boris Johnson speaks after the Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency count declaration at Brunel University in Uxbridge, London, Friday, Dec. 13, 2019. (AP Photo\/Kirsty Wigglesworth)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bobby Smith, a candidate who has run against some of the nation\u2019s most high-profile politicians in a knock-off costume of the fuzzy Sesame Street character, considers himself a campaigner for fathers\u2019 rights. He <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fathers-4-justice.org\/2016\/10\/elmos-crusade\/\">chose the gimmick<\/a> by combining the first two letters of both his daughters\u2019 names, spelling \u201cElmo,\u201d and uses elections as an opportunity to voice his frustration at not being allowed to see his children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI want to expose the family courts, and I want my children to know that I never, never, gave up,\u201d Smith said in 2016.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4644662\/conservative-mp-ann-widdecombe-found-dead-in-suspected-murder\/\">MAN ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF MURDERING BRITISH POLITICIAN ANN WIDDECOMBE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among Count Binface\u2019s most <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/politics\/2026\/07\/15\/starmer-backs-count-binface\/\">high-profile endorsements<\/a> was former Prime Minister Keir Starmer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the premier was standing for his last session of Prime Minister\u2019s Questions in mid-July, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch asked whether he believed the country deserved a televised debate between Farage and Binface.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Starmer said his advice to those in Clacton-on-Sea was to \u201cput your vote in the bin.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nigage to win Clacton; Count Binface is his only rival<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3468,"featured_media":2644278,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19347158641340.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[35335,33888,28282,84083,38581],"class_list":["post-2644277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-british-politics","tag-count-binface","tag-elmo","tag-novelty-candidates","tag-political-humor"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19347158641340.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2644277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3468"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2644277"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2644277\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2644281,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2644277\/revisions\/2644281"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2644278"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2644277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2644277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2644277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}