Fringe candidate challenges Nigel Farage in Clacton by-election
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage’s decision to resign his Clacton seat and force a by-election, amid scrutiny over his personal finances, has produced one of the odder spectacles in recent British politics. With every other major party declining to stand and despite a record 34 candidates running, his most prominent challenger is Count Binface, the silver-caped “intergalactic space warrior” with a bin for a helmet, reports BritPanorama.
Danny Kruger, the Reform UK MP for East Wiltshire, criticized rivals for backing a comedian in a dustbin costume, asserting that politics is not a joke. His reaction suggests that Reform UK senses its own vulnerability to ridicule rather than exhibiting the confidence to brush it aside. However, Kruger’s critique also overlooks a significant aspect: “joke” candidates have a historical and consequential place in British politics.
The template was established by David Sutch, known as Screaming Lord Sutch, who entered politics in 1963 and campaigned for lower voting ages, standing against Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson in 1966. He founded the Monster Raving Loony Party in 1983 and contested elections 39 times.
Sutch’s slogan, “vote for insanity, you know it makes sense,” masked a genuine disenchantment among voters alienated from mainstream politics. Ironically, several of his policies, such as commercial radio and a lower voting age, were later enacted. His party notably outpolled the collapsing Social Democrats in the Bootle by-election in 1990.
Sutch established the trope of comedy candidates standing alongside the country’s most powerful politicians. Count Binface, previously known as Lord Buckethead, challenged Theresa May in 2017, following this well-trodden path.
British election results are announced in a public hall, where candidates line up on stage, forcing even a sitting prime minister to stand beside rivals in costume. This ritual may help sustain the tradition of oddball candidates, providing them with recognition despite garnering few votes.
The distinction between joke and fringe candidates is often blurred. Sutch’s comedic approach concealed substantial protest, while some serious candidates have been perceived as figures of fun. For instance, William “Bill” Boaks, a naval veteran decorated at Dunkirk, campaigned in a car painted as a zebra crossing but ultimately received just five votes in Glasgow.
Similarly, the Natural Law Party (NLP), which promoted applying Transcendental Meditation principles to governance, had serious policies such as an arms export ban, yet its humorous election broadcasts were widely ridiculed.
Fringe candidates are not inherently poorly funded or powerless. Both the NLP and James Goldsmith’s Referendum Party, which campaigned on a single anti-EU issue in the 1997 election, had significant financial backing. The NLP was funded by ex-Beatle George Harrison, while Goldsmith, a billionaire, employed innovative messaging techniques like distributing video cassettes to voters. Wealthy individuals can exert influence over the political process, as exemplified by the recent donations received by Farage.
The Referendum Party had a tangible impact on the 1997 general election. One statistical study indicated that despite winning no seats and averaging under 3% of the vote, its intervention reduced the Conservative vote by roughly 3.4 points, potentially costing them 16 to 18 seats. A single-issue party supported by a wealthy backer can influence contest outcomes even without winning seats.
The possibility of significant impact from a candidate like Binface, even without securing a seat, serves as a reminder to critically examine his Clacton campaign, which combines joke policies with serious propositions, such as banning MPs who resign mid-parliament from standing in the resulting by-election. Local polling indicates he could capture a noteworthy 20% of the vote.
Regardless of the outcome for Farage in Clacton, the votes for Binface could serve as fodder for critics and comedians throughout his career. There is also a deeper irony at play: what defines “fringe” or “ridiculous” is continually being reshaped. Farage himself was once viewed as a fringe figure before ascending to become a key player in British politics. This highlights a boundary he now attempts to delineate against Binface.
The history of British democracy encompasses not just the victors but also the stories of the losers, loners, and long-shots whose campaigns reflect the electorate’s sense of humour and seriousness. A man in a bin costume standing against the individual who instigated this election is a nuanced glimpse into the evolving landscape of British politics.
