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This person is hilarious, for non-UK people who are wondering what this is, this is a joke candidate for an MP who is getting a lot of attention because of the

This person is hilarious, for non-UK people who are wondering what this is, this is a joke candidate for an MP who is getting a lot of attention because of the political system in the UK not working very well. This YouTube video has sort of started this off recently and made him go viral https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MCCVt8IhJkA&pp=ygUHQmluZmFjZQ%3D%3D&ra=m https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MCCVt8IhJkA&pp=ygUHQmluZmFjZQ%...

stingraycharles 3mo ago
What I find interesting is that he seems to be the only candidate? Aren’t there actual political parties that could have produced legitimate candidates?
- gostsamo 3mo ago
  There were but decided not to stand candidates, likely fearing humiliating defeat.
  - esskay 3mo ago
    Yeah no, if thats your takeaway then you've severely misunderstood the situation. They dont expect, nor want to win that seat. They want Nige to win it back so he's held accountable as thats in their interest. And then when he's likely ousted later this year they'll all run when theres another election.
- robin_reala 3mo ago
  The election was triggered because a populist politician being investigated for corruption decided to step down, triggering an election so that he could run again to theoretically prove that he was who the people wanted regardless of the corruption investigation. This backfired when every other party refused to field a candidate (that is, to go along with his plan), apart from Binface. So Farage’s “me vs the establishment” commentary is not going as he expected.
  - bluehatbrit 3mo ago
    It's also worth noting that he's being investigated by the Parliamentary Standards Committee. Now that he has stepped down as an MP, that investigation would ordinarily be paused (and is from what I can tell). It would be resumed if he won but he gets a while to organise things before he has to face them again.
    - manarth 3mo ago
      And if the Standards Committee find sufficient wrong-doing to suspend an MP for 10 days or more, the suspension automatically triggers a recall-petition. If the recall-petition is signed by 10% or more of voters in that MP's constituency, this triggers a by-election. So there's a reasonable possibility that once the investigation concludes, there will be another by-election in Clacton.
- buildfocus 3mo ago
  The election is a re-election vote triggered by the MP already in the very safe seat, as a distraction from "where did all this money come from" investigations around him (which are also conveniently paused by this byelection). He's arguing that if he gets reelected then the investigation doesn't matter. The other parties are arguing it's a stunt, and so are fielding no candidates. Binface's candidacy accurately represents the absurdity of the whole thing.
- 317070 3mo ago
  Those other parties all declined to compete in this by-election. They want Farage to stand to the rule of law on his corruption, and not endorse this procedural manoeuvre. The timing of this by-election is also such that, were there an actual race, Farage would likely get his propaganda on the front of the newspapers throughout the summer months while everyone else in politics is on holiday.
- TomK32 3mo ago
  Other interested candidates can submit their nomination from tomorrow to Friday and I think one needs the support of only 10 constituents and a hundred quid More info should follow here today: https://www.tendringdc.gov.uk/content/13-august-2026-election-of-member-of-parliament-to-the-clacton-constituency https://www.tendringdc.gov.uk/content/13-august-2026-electio...
- gadders 3mo ago
  [flagged]
  - foldr 3mo ago
    Investigating Farage for failing to declare donations and gifts is neither “lawfare” nor a plausible means of removing him as an MP. It’s just the Parliamentary Standards Comittee doing its job. No legal penalty is on the cards. The worst the committee can do (and they might not even do it) is make him fight another by election, at which point the decision as to whether or not he remains an MP is entirely up to voters in his constituency. Odds are that Farage would win again, so if this is all part of a grand scheme to oust him, it’s a pretty stupid scheme. Currently, the person working hardest to ensure that Farage ceases to be an MP is Farage himself, having made the strategic error of trying to pre-empt what he presumes to be the eventual outcome of the committee investigation by calling this farcical by election.
    - SideburnsOfDoom 3mo ago
      > Investigating Farage for failing to declare donations and gifts is neither “lawfare” nor a plausible means of removing him as an MP. It’s just the Parliamentary Standards Comittee doing its job. No legal penalty is on the cards. All true, but I would caveat it, "no legal penalty is on the cards from the Parliamentary Standards Comittee" We know that there are multiple dodgy dealings, and at least one SAR (Suspicious Activity Report) has been filed. We cannot rule out actual legal penalties in general, nor should we. Seeking a popular mandate should not be used as an get-out of legal accountability. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-gift-crypto-billionaire-christopher-harborne-b3010800.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-...
- luke5441 3mo ago
  Since it is a first-past the post system it would have been best if the other parties coordinated to only let the best party compete. Having Count Binface as the only other candidate is IMO a second-best option.
  - crote 3mo ago
    That would've given Farage the "him vs The Establishment" fight he is looking for, though. Leaving it to the Count robs him of that.
foldr 3mo ago
The system has proved to be quite dynamic, really. The electorate have had real choices over the past 10-15 years. Stay in the EU or don’t. Elect a genuine socialist or a centre-right conservative as Prime Minister. And unpopular or incompetent Prime Ministers have been removed quite promptly. It’s time to get rid of FPTP, but the real problem seems to be that people just keep voting for the wrong policies.
teamonkey 3mo ago
> This person is hilarious, for non-UK people who are wondering what this is, this is a joke candidate for an MP who is getting a lot of attention because of the political system in the UK not working very well. Yes and he’s running against Count Binface (sorry)
pibaker 3mo ago
> the political system in the UK not working very well "Joke candidate making a serious attempt at practically unseating a probably corrupt party leader through democratic voting process" is infinitely better than what happens on the other side of the Atlantic. Or as I would call it "vote for one of the two presidential candidates who can't form a coherent sentence. Except your vote doesn't matter because your state is deep red or blue. And your congressional vote doesn't matter either because you are gerrymandered. But your congressional vote not mattering doesn't matter anyway because the congress has given up governing."

stingraycharles 3mo ago

What I find interesting is that he seems to be the only candidate? Aren’t there actual political parties that could have produced legitimate candidates?

gostsamo 3mo ago
There were but decided not to stand candidates, likely fearing humiliating defeat.
- esskay 3mo ago
  Yeah no, if thats your takeaway then you've severely misunderstood the situation. They dont expect, nor want to win that seat. They want Nige to win it back so he's held accountable as thats in their interest. And then when he's likely ousted later this year they'll all run when theres another election.
robin_reala 3mo ago
The election was triggered because a populist politician being investigated for corruption decided to step down, triggering an election so that he could run again to theoretically prove that he was who the people wanted regardless of the corruption investigation. This backfired when every other party refused to field a candidate (that is, to go along with his plan), apart from Binface. So Farage’s “me vs the establishment” commentary is not going as he expected.
- bluehatbrit 3mo ago
  It's also worth noting that he's being investigated by the Parliamentary Standards Committee. Now that he has stepped down as an MP, that investigation would ordinarily be paused (and is from what I can tell). It would be resumed if he won but he gets a while to organise things before he has to face them again.
  - manarth 3mo ago
    And if the Standards Committee find sufficient wrong-doing to suspend an MP for 10 days or more, the suspension automatically triggers a recall-petition. If the recall-petition is signed by 10% or more of voters in that MP's constituency, this triggers a by-election. So there's a reasonable possibility that once the investigation concludes, there will be another by-election in Clacton.
buildfocus 3mo ago
The election is a re-election vote triggered by the MP already in the very safe seat, as a distraction from "where did all this money come from" investigations around him (which are also conveniently paused by this byelection). He's arguing that if he gets reelected then the investigation doesn't matter. The other parties are arguing it's a stunt, and so are fielding no candidates. Binface's candidacy accurately represents the absurdity of the whole thing.
317070 3mo ago
Those other parties all declined to compete in this by-election. They want Farage to stand to the rule of law on his corruption, and not endorse this procedural manoeuvre. The timing of this by-election is also such that, were there an actual race, Farage would likely get his propaganda on the front of the newspapers throughout the summer months while everyone else in politics is on holiday.
TomK32 3mo ago
Other interested candidates can submit their nomination from tomorrow to Friday and I think one needs the support of only 10 constituents and a hundred quid More info should follow here today: https://www.tendringdc.gov.uk/content/13-august-2026-election-of-member-of-parliament-to-the-clacton-constituency https://www.tendringdc.gov.uk/content/13-august-2026-electio...
gadders 3mo ago
[flagged]
- foldr 3mo ago
  Investigating Farage for failing to declare donations and gifts is neither “lawfare” nor a plausible means of removing him as an MP. It’s just the Parliamentary Standards Comittee doing its job. No legal penalty is on the cards. The worst the committee can do (and they might not even do it) is make him fight another by election, at which point the decision as to whether or not he remains an MP is entirely up to voters in his constituency. Odds are that Farage would win again, so if this is all part of a grand scheme to oust him, it’s a pretty stupid scheme. Currently, the person working hardest to ensure that Farage ceases to be an MP is Farage himself, having made the strategic error of trying to pre-empt what he presumes to be the eventual outcome of the committee investigation by calling this farcical by election.
  - SideburnsOfDoom 3mo ago
    > Investigating Farage for failing to declare donations and gifts is neither “lawfare” nor a plausible means of removing him as an MP. It’s just the Parliamentary Standards Comittee doing its job. No legal penalty is on the cards. All true, but I would caveat it, "no legal penalty is on the cards from the Parliamentary Standards Comittee" We know that there are multiple dodgy dealings, and at least one SAR (Suspicious Activity Report) has been filed. We cannot rule out actual legal penalties in general, nor should we. Seeking a popular mandate should not be used as an get-out of legal accountability. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-gift-crypto-billionaire-christopher-harborne-b3010800.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-...
luke5441 3mo ago
Since it is a first-past the post system it would have been best if the other parties coordinated to only let the best party compete. Having Count Binface as the only other candidate is IMO a second-best option.
- crote 3mo ago
  That would've given Farage the "him vs The Establishment" fight he is looking for, though. Leaving it to the Count robs him of that.

foldr 3mo ago

The system has proved to be quite dynamic, really. The electorate have had real choices over the past 10-15 years. Stay in the EU or don’t. Elect a genuine socialist or a centre-right conservative as Prime Minister. And unpopular or incompetent Prime Ministers have been removed quite promptly. It’s time to get rid of FPTP, but the real problem seems to be that people just keep voting for the wrong policies.

teamonkey 3mo ago

> This person is hilarious, for non-UK people who are wondering what this is, this is a joke candidate for an MP who is getting a lot of attention because of the political system in the UK not working very well. Yes and he’s running against Count Binface (sorry)

pibaker 3mo ago

> the political system in the UK not working very well "Joke candidate making a serious attempt at practically unseating a probably corrupt party leader through democratic voting process" is infinitely better than what happens on the other side of the Atlantic. Or as I would call it "vote for one of the two presidential candidates who can't form a coherent sentence. Except your vote doesn't matter because your state is deep red or blue. And your congressional vote doesn't matter either because you are gerrymandered. But your congressional vote not mattering doesn't matter anyway because the congress has given up governing."