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Britain has a first-past-the-post election system so the candidate with the most votes wins in each constituency. As Farage didn’t get an absolute majority las

Britain has a first-past-the-post election system so the candidate with the most votes wins in each constituency. As Farage didn’t get an absolute majority last time, and as a majority of voters didn’t even vote last time, I was extrapolating that Count Binface had a real chance. Not just as a protest vote, but a magnet for everyone not supporting Farage as well as everyone wanting a laugh (in a British boaty-mcboatface way). Perhaps a serious clean-up-politics neutral candidate would have done better, like Martin Bell - a very well known war correspondent - who stood on an anti corruption ticket against the scandal riddled Conservative Neil Hamilton in Tatton in 1997.

hdgvhicv 2mo ago
All of Farage’s supporters turned out - more votes for him this time than last time. They get what they deserve.
- 8note 2mo ago
  > They get what they deserve. another expensive byelection. Farage has just wasted public funds to justify taking a big bribe
  - hdgvhicv 2mo ago
    Clacton had the opportunity to vote for that not to happen.
- Someone1234 2mo ago
  The Conservative party ran in the last election, they didn't run in this election, so more right wing voters likely moved from Conservative to Farage than he got 110% of his normal core/base.
  - undersuit 2mo ago
    I saw a Sankey diagram from exit polls that showed that lots of Conservatives voted for Farage, but some Reform voted for Binface. Can't find it again though because Twitter sucks.
    - wood_spirit 2mo ago
      I thought there wasn’t exit polls in this particular by-election?
      - hdgvhicv 2mo ago
        They was one opinion poll pf about 250 people.
    - rsynnott 2mo ago
      I saw someone interviewed who said that they supported Reform but couldn't vote for Farage. Which is particularly odd as Reform is _basically_ the Nigel Farage party; it wouldn't survive losing him.
- PowerElectronix 2mo ago
  And all the rest also get what Farage's voters deserve. Such is the power of Democracy.
  - actionfromafar 2mo ago
    Such is especially the power of first-past-the-post.
  - blipvert 2mo ago
    Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid And if the standards committee sees fit he will be doing it again soon.
  - keybored 2mo ago
    Democracies can be arranged in some majoritarian, concensus-based, or any other way that a group of peers can use to decide on something collectively. “Ha ha wolves and sheep voting for what’s for dinner.” Find another quip.
- pydry 2mo ago
  Jaywick next door to clacton on sea was the most deprived place in the UK before he came along. He can hardly make it worse. From their perspective all this attention is probably better than being ignored even though the attention is for all the wrong reasons. After all, what did nameless generic tory #4 ever do for them? what would labour do? Probably nothing much, just like farage.
  - blipvert 2mo ago
    Jaywick is possibly the area in the UK most dependent on benefits handouts. Good luck with the guy who wants to slash your benefits, people.
  - tonyedgecombe 2mo ago
    Interestingly these regions have been getting a lot more investment from central government in recent years. It hasn’t appeared to make any difference to people’s voting patterns.
    - pydry 2mo ago
      i doubt it would until that investment actually starts creating jobs and a better standard of living. jaywick is still the most deprived area of the UK.
  - hdgvhicv 2mo ago
    You want attention and an mp who cares and delivers then vote for Binface. Farage has barely been in Clacton for the last 2 years.
  - dofm 2mo ago
    (ETA: I see you edited your post to clarify — I will leave mine because there is significant nuance about the constituency) Not really. Clacton itself certainly wasn't; it has its problems for sure but other seaside towns do, and the corner of Clacton that is closest to Brightlingsea is I think fairly well off? The constituency also includes Frinton-on-Sea, which is really quite affluent as east coastal towns go and fairly affluent on a national scale — a whole bunch of properties over a million quid, and Walton-on-the-Naze, which is a nice place, a bit more modestly expensive than Clacton. The constituency does include a place that is often considered the most deprived place in the UK — the coastal village of Jaywick which is essentially a holiday resort village that collapsed. Quite a lot of the people of Jaywick resent the allegation, as it goes. It certainly is more functionally deprived than most places in the UK though, as you have a lot of people living in what were basically beach huts in a holiday park. And you can be absolutely certain that Farage does not give a damn about Jaywick. His entire argument, essentially, is that he, being Nigel Farage and occasionally even being Nigel Farage in Clacton, is good for Jaywick because it raises Clacton's profile. Locals evidently do not think he has done a thing, and regeneration would be a council effort anyway.
throw0101d 2mo ago
> […] I was extrapolating that Count Binface had a real chance. The Stand-up Maths channel just did a video on this, "Can Count Binface win?": > "Can Count Binface actually win this election? In a word: yes. In more words: probably not… but we'll get to that later." * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zn1pGRgEoo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zn1pGRgEoo
mytailorisrich 2mo ago
I think people voted Binface in protest but knowing that he would lose. Because what if he had won (apart from Farage's utter humiliation, of course)? Would he sit in Parliament in costume? Need to know when to stop so that the joke does not turn into a farce. Regarding first-past-the-post, the system plays heavily against Reform UK / Farage, actually. They currently have 5 MPs (well, 4...) with more votes nationally than the Lib Dems who have 71 MPs.
- tialaramex 2mo ago
  I expect he would show up to Westminster, take the pledge and not wear the costume. Maybe they'd make a big thing out of refusing to let him enter with the Bin on and so forth but maybe it's not worth the bother. If they did it would be staged, like the modern (and perhaps ancient) slamming of the doors before Black Rod during a State Opening. It's just symbolic, they're going to allow Black Rod in, he did not have an inherent right, as a symbol of the King, to enter, he is knocking to get permission.
  - philistine 2mo ago
    If you want to see how exactly a Westminster Parliament would stop duly elected MPs who did not follow the rules, look at the 2022 controversy about the Parti Québécois MPs who refused to pledge allegiance to the monarch. They were physically stopped by the sergeant-at-arms.
    - tialaramex 2mo ago
      The UK has MPs who won't pledge allegiance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinn_F%C3%A9in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinn_F%C3%A9in -- they're so integral to modern parliamentary procedure that Parliament's own systems just assume they don't count for purposes of working out a majority. If your government can scrape together enough people to get Confidence and Supply unless Sinn Féin MPs turn up, you live another day. Their grand political gesture over decades is worth nothing if they ever sacrifice it to cast a vote and so Parliament's own systems assume that would never happen. But Binface's garb isn't a political point, being turned away because he's wearing a bin isn't some grand political gesture supported by his voters, it would be pointless so that's why I wouldn't expect him to do it.
kergonath 2mo ago
Maybe in a real election. Clearly the big parties had no need to get involved in this farce. I think they were right: Farage got publicly humiliated, all for nothing. Surely this has to be the highest score for a novelty candidate. Besides, I don’t think candidates, even from major parties, would really have a chance in the current situation.
gadders 2mo ago
Perhaps people in the constituency like Farage and want a Reform government.
- exe34 2mo ago
  Or maybe they want to see the rest of the investigation!
lbriner 2mo ago
The problem with independent candidates is that they will never be able to influence Parliament enough to make anything happen, they will just be dominated by the big parties. Short of banning people from being part of a political party (which might be a good or bad idea) it is just a sad fact of FPTP voting.
SideburnsOfDoom 2mo ago
> I was extrapolating that Count Binface had a real chance. At winning? No. Count Binface got 26.9% of the vote (1), and overperformed expectations at that. He was not expected to win outright. At being funny, and making Farage look weak, petty and silly? Yes, he overperformed at that too. 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Clacton_by-election https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Clacton_by-election

hdgvhicv 2mo ago

All of Farage’s supporters turned out - more votes for him this time than last time. They get what they deserve.

8note 2mo ago
> They get what they deserve. another expensive byelection. Farage has just wasted public funds to justify taking a big bribe
- hdgvhicv 2mo ago
  Clacton had the opportunity to vote for that not to happen.
Someone1234 2mo ago
The Conservative party ran in the last election, they didn't run in this election, so more right wing voters likely moved from Conservative to Farage than he got 110% of his normal core/base.
- undersuit 2mo ago
  I saw a Sankey diagram from exit polls that showed that lots of Conservatives voted for Farage, but some Reform voted for Binface. Can't find it again though because Twitter sucks.
  - wood_spirit 2mo ago
    I thought there wasn’t exit polls in this particular by-election?
    - hdgvhicv 2mo ago
      They was one opinion poll pf about 250 people.
  - rsynnott 2mo ago
    I saw someone interviewed who said that they supported Reform but couldn't vote for Farage. Which is particularly odd as Reform is _basically_ the Nigel Farage party; it wouldn't survive losing him.
PowerElectronix 2mo ago
And all the rest also get what Farage's voters deserve. Such is the power of Democracy.
- actionfromafar 2mo ago
  Such is especially the power of first-past-the-post.
- blipvert 2mo ago
  Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid And if the standards committee sees fit he will be doing it again soon.
- keybored 2mo ago
  Democracies can be arranged in some majoritarian, concensus-based, or any other way that a group of peers can use to decide on something collectively. “Ha ha wolves and sheep voting for what’s for dinner.” Find another quip.
pydry 2mo ago
Jaywick next door to clacton on sea was the most deprived place in the UK before he came along. He can hardly make it worse. From their perspective all this attention is probably better than being ignored even though the attention is for all the wrong reasons. After all, what did nameless generic tory #4 ever do for them? what would labour do? Probably nothing much, just like farage.
- blipvert 2mo ago
  Jaywick is possibly the area in the UK most dependent on benefits handouts. Good luck with the guy who wants to slash your benefits, people.
- tonyedgecombe 2mo ago
  Interestingly these regions have been getting a lot more investment from central government in recent years. It hasn’t appeared to make any difference to people’s voting patterns.
  - pydry 2mo ago
    i doubt it would until that investment actually starts creating jobs and a better standard of living. jaywick is still the most deprived area of the UK.
- hdgvhicv 2mo ago
  You want attention and an mp who cares and delivers then vote for Binface. Farage has barely been in Clacton for the last 2 years.
- dofm 2mo ago
  (ETA: I see you edited your post to clarify — I will leave mine because there is significant nuance about the constituency) Not really. Clacton itself certainly wasn't; it has its problems for sure but other seaside towns do, and the corner of Clacton that is closest to Brightlingsea is I think fairly well off? The constituency also includes Frinton-on-Sea, which is really quite affluent as east coastal towns go and fairly affluent on a national scale — a whole bunch of properties over a million quid, and Walton-on-the-Naze, which is a nice place, a bit more modestly expensive than Clacton. The constituency does include a place that is often considered the most deprived place in the UK — the coastal village of Jaywick which is essentially a holiday resort village that collapsed. Quite a lot of the people of Jaywick resent the allegation, as it goes. It certainly is more functionally deprived than most places in the UK though, as you have a lot of people living in what were basically beach huts in a holiday park. And you can be absolutely certain that Farage does not give a damn about Jaywick. His entire argument, essentially, is that he, being Nigel Farage and occasionally even being Nigel Farage in Clacton, is good for Jaywick because it raises Clacton's profile. Locals evidently do not think he has done a thing, and regeneration would be a council effort anyway.

throw0101d 2mo ago

> […] I was extrapolating that Count Binface had a real chance. The Stand-up Maths channel just did a video on this, "Can Count Binface win?": > "Can Count Binface actually win this election? In a word: yes. In more words: probably not… but we'll get to that later." * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zn1pGRgEoo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zn1pGRgEoo

mytailorisrich 2mo ago

I think people voted Binface in protest but knowing that he would lose. Because what if he had won (apart from Farage's utter humiliation, of course)? Would he sit in Parliament in costume? Need to know when to stop so that the joke does not turn into a farce. Regarding first-past-the-post, the system plays heavily against Reform UK / Farage, actually. They currently have 5 MPs (well, 4...) with more votes nationally than the Lib Dems who have 71 MPs.

tialaramex 2mo ago
I expect he would show up to Westminster, take the pledge and not wear the costume. Maybe they'd make a big thing out of refusing to let him enter with the Bin on and so forth but maybe it's not worth the bother. If they did it would be staged, like the modern (and perhaps ancient) slamming of the doors before Black Rod during a State Opening. It's just symbolic, they're going to allow Black Rod in, he did not have an inherent right, as a symbol of the King, to enter, he is knocking to get permission.
- philistine 2mo ago
  If you want to see how exactly a Westminster Parliament would stop duly elected MPs who did not follow the rules, look at the 2022 controversy about the Parti Québécois MPs who refused to pledge allegiance to the monarch. They were physically stopped by the sergeant-at-arms.
  - tialaramex 2mo ago
    The UK has MPs who won't pledge allegiance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinn_F%C3%A9in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinn_F%C3%A9in -- they're so integral to modern parliamentary procedure that Parliament's own systems just assume they don't count for purposes of working out a majority. If your government can scrape together enough people to get Confidence and Supply unless Sinn Féin MPs turn up, you live another day. Their grand political gesture over decades is worth nothing if they ever sacrifice it to cast a vote and so Parliament's own systems assume that would never happen. But Binface's garb isn't a political point, being turned away because he's wearing a bin isn't some grand political gesture supported by his voters, it would be pointless so that's why I wouldn't expect him to do it.

kergonath 2mo ago

Maybe in a real election. Clearly the big parties had no need to get involved in this farce. I think they were right: Farage got publicly humiliated, all for nothing. Surely this has to be the highest score for a novelty candidate. Besides, I don’t think candidates, even from major parties, would really have a chance in the current situation.

gadders 2mo ago

Perhaps people in the constituency like Farage and want a Reform government.

exe34 2mo ago
Or maybe they want to see the rest of the investigation!

lbriner 2mo ago

The problem with independent candidates is that they will never be able to influence Parliament enough to make anything happen, they will just be dominated by the big parties. Short of banning people from being part of a political party (which might be a good or bad idea) it is just a sad fact of FPTP voting.

SideburnsOfDoom 2mo ago

> I was extrapolating that Count Binface had a real chance. At winning? No. Count Binface got 26.9% of the vote (1), and overperformed expectations at that. He was not expected to win outright. At being funny, and making Farage look weak, petty and silly? Yes, he overperformed at that too. 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Clacton_by-election https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Clacton_by-election