‘Binface’ candidate who could sink Farage — and Musk's old grudge resurfaces

There's a South African thread to the story that’s got the UK buzzing: Reform UK's fortunes have long been entangled with Elon Musk, the Pretoria-born billionaire who once considered bankrolling the party before a public falling-out with Farage over leadership and tactics. Musk's on-off flirtation with Reform UK exposed the same fragility Count Binface's candidacy now threatens to reveal — that Farage's brand of insurgent populism draws fierce loyalty but also fierce backlash, capping its ceiling. With tactical "anyone-but-Farage" voting projected to cost Reform dozens of seats nationally, the upcoming Clacton by-election is a small-scale test of a vulnerability Musk once bet against..By Alex Morales.Nigel Farage intended his shock decision to quit Parliament and seek reelection in his coastal seat as a demonstration of political strength. But a man wearing a rubbish bin could end up showing the depth of antipathy to the Reform UK leader. With all of the UK’s other major parties pledging not to contest the vote in Clacton, eastern England, Farage’s most prominent opponent is likely to be a man who goes by the name Count Binface. The novelty candidate has become a regular fixture of UK elections in recent years, never getting more than a token vote. This time could be different. .While Farage is undoubtedly popular in Clacton — securing 46% of the vote there in 2024 — he’s also a divisive politician who frequently inspires tactical “anyone-but-Farage” voting among those who want to keep him and Reform out of office. A two-way contest could highlight the breadth of opposition to the architect of Brexit, rather than the “people-versus-the-establishment” showdown that he promised. “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,” Conservative Party Leader Kemi Badenoch told Sky News.Farage quit his seat following a backlash over undeclared gifts, including £5 million ($6.7 million) from Thailand-based cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne that he’s variously said was a personal gift intended to pay for his security, a reward for fighting for Brexit, and cash that he could spend on anything he chose, including Ferraris. That gift is the subject of a probe by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, which Farage sought to cast as an attempt by the longer-established parties to beat him by “foul means.” That investigation is set to be suspended during the by-election campaign, but would resume if Farage is returned to Parliament. “He’s now utterly exposed, and it’s right, I think, that all the major parties are not running candidates,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters at a NATO conference in Ankara on Wednesday. He declined to endorse Count Binface, citing the Labour Party’s internal rules. .Starmer’s deputy, David Lammy, told the House of Commons that the contest in Clacton amounted to “the city trader Putin-admiring professional politician who’s pals with crypto billionaires versus Count Binface,” prompting Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper to reply that it will be a “two-horse race.” Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, who could block Farage’s resignation under the arcane rules governing parliamentary vacancies, said she would do no such thing: “If he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won’t stop him.”.A strong showing by a candidate like Binface could reinforce concerns that Reform faces a ceiling of support despite dominating public opinion polls for more than a year. A projection by Electoral Calculus released on Wednesday found that “tactical voting” to keep Reform candidates out of office could reduce the party’s gains in the next general election to 127 seats from a potential 166.Reform shrugged off threat of an election boycott in Clacton. The party accused other major parties on “running scared of democracy” in a post on the social media platform X. Binface is actually comedian Jonathan Harvey. He stood in the 2019 general election against Prime Minister Boris Johnson in his constituency of Uxbridge, and contested the 2024 election in Richmond, opposing the then premier, Rishi Sunak. Last month, he challenged Andy Burnham — who’s poised to soon succeed Starmer as premier — in Makerfield, near Manchester..Nigel Farage, Reform UK are still a long way from peaking: Adrian Wooldridge.In a BBC Radio interview on Wednesday, Binface outlined some of his policies: to nationalize the singer Adele, and to build “at least one” affordable home nationwide. There were also offerings tailor-made for Clacton: forcing water company bosses to swim in British waters “to see how they like it” and capping the price of 99-flakes — a traditional seaside ice cream cone with a chocolate bar in it — at 99 pence. He’s planning a “(Moral) Victory Rally!” at the Museum on Comedy in London later on Thursday.. Besides the obvious questions about how Binface could conform with House of Commons requirements for respectful, business-like attire if were elected, there is danger for Farage. The British public has proved in the past that it’s not above opting for eccentric and irreverent choices.Britons once voted for a research vessel to be named Boaty McBoatface, and in 2002, the electorate in Hartlepool elected Stuart Drummond as mayor after he stood in the guise of the mascot of the town’s football team, a monkey called H’Angus.Binface was asked what his appeal was to the people of Clacton. He replied: “I’m not Nigel Farage.”.© 2026 Bloomberg L.P..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox every morning on weekdays. Register here. Support South Africa's bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.

‘Binface’ candidate who could sink Farage — and Musk's old grudge resurfaces

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