Count Binface ‘Gratified’ As He Beats Nigel Farage Into Second Place At Clacton

Key Points

• On 13 August 2026, a novelty “intergalactic space warrior” candidate, Count Binface, took second place in the Clacton by-election.
• Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, won the seat with 22,239 votes (12,784 majority) while Binface received 9,455 (around 27 per cent) of the votes.
• Binface said he was “gratified” to be there in person to hear the announcement when Farage decided not to turn up at Clacton Leisure Centre.
• Farage beat the official outcome by giving an address to a gathering at a separate “Farage-fest” which he described as an “overwhelming endorsement.
• A spokesperson for Reform UK stated Essex Police had issued Farage with an “advice to remain at home” due to a “credible threat”, which the police rejected. Reform UK claimed Essex Police had sent him an “advice to remain at home” due to a “credible threat”, a stance that was denied by the police.
• Ian Davidson, the returning officer, said that he was told by Farage that the count would not take place.
• There were a record 34 candidates at the by-election, with the previous record set in 2008.
• Voters turned out in reduced numbers, 44.37 per cent, which was more than 14 percentage points less than the 2024 general election.
• The comedian Jonathan Harvey, otherwise known as Binface, claimed his performance was “1,000 times more popular” than his opposition to Andy Burnham in Makerfield weeks ago.
• The cost of the by-election is estimated to have been £200,000 to £250,000 for Tendring District Council.

Clacton (Britain Today News) August 15, 2026 — Count Binface, the perennial fringe candidate best known for campaigning in a silver cape and a bin-lid helmet, said he was “gratified” to have shown up in person to collect his best-ever election result after Nigel Farage declined to attend the declaration of the Clacton by-election in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Farage was returned as the Member of Parliament for Clacton with 22,239 votes, comfortably beating Binface, who secured 9,455 votes, or 26.9 per cent of the total, according to figures confirmed by the Tendring District Council count published on Wikipedia’s record of the 2026 Clacton by-election. The result gave Farage a majority of 12,784, though it marked a narrower share of the vote than his performance at the 2024 general election.

While Farage chose to address supporters away from the leisure centre where ballots were being counted, Binface stayed to hear his own name read out — and to make the most of the moment in front of the cameras.

Who Is Count Binface And What Is His Real Identity?

Count Binface is the stage persona of the British comedian Jonathan Harvey, who has built a decade-long sideline in contesting high-profile elections dressed as a self-declared

“intergalactic space warrior, leader of the Recyclons from planet Sigma IX.”

As reported by US News, Binface has previously stood against four British prime ministers — Theresa May, in an earlier guise as Lord Buckethead, Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak, and, in a slight variation, against Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, at the 2026 Makerfield by-election. He has also contested the London mayoral elections of 2021 and 2024.

What Did Count Binface Say After The Clacton Declaration?

Speaking to reporters at Clacton Leisure Centre after the declaration, Binface said, as quoted by US News: “I’m gratified that after this election I have been able to put the seal on it by coming to get the verdict of the good people of Clacton.” He appeared in his familiar silver-and-black outfit, complete with cape and trash-can helmet, in contrast to Farage’s absence from the same stage.

In a video shared on X shortly after the result was announced, and cited by HuffPost UK, Binface told his supporters:

“I can officially say that I am the winning candidate, of the candidates who bothered to turn up for the result. That’s right, 9,455 actual votes. Just eight weeks ago in Makerfield I got 95.”

Reporting carried by RTÉ News quoted Binface adding:

“Well, it tells you that Nigel, who said that he didn’t want to be humiliated, maybe has been. As for me, I’m over the moon. I’m over your moon. I’m over my moons. And what comes next? Well, we shall see.”

He went on:

“But you know what? We know this for a fact. Over one in four people in this constituency would rather have Count Binface as their MP than the leader of Reform UK, and I’m just getting started.”

How Does This Result Compare To Binface’s Previous Campaigns?

According to US News, Binface highlighted the scale of his improvement on the campaign trail, saying:

“In Makerfield, eight weeks ago, I got 95 votes. So against Nigel Farage, compared to Andy Burnham, I am 1,000 times more popular”

— a claim made without acknowledging any mathematical inconsistency, the outlet noted. His 9,455 votes in Clacton eclipsed his previous personal best of 308 votes, recorded when he stood against Rishi Sunak in the Richmond and Northallerton constituency at the 2024 general election, HuffPost UK reported. Wikipedia’s entry on the by-election states that Binface’s vote share represented the highest proportion ever obtained by a novelty candidate in UK political history.

Why Did Nigel Farage Win The Clacton By-Election?

Farage’s victory extended his tenure as the constituency’s MP, a seat he has held for Reform UK since the 2024 general election. Speaking to supporters at a separate campaign event, dubbed “Farage-fest” and organised by Reform UK in Essex, Farage pre-empted the official declaration by telling the crowd he had won “fairly convincingly,” describing the outcome as an “overwhelming endorsement” of his record, according to the Express & Star, which credited the report to the Press Association.

Why Did Nigel Farage Skip The Official Declaration?

Farage told his supporters he would not travel to Clacton Leisure Centre for the formal count, citing what he described as an “organised campaign to disrupt and degrade the result.” As reported by the Express & Star, he said:

“I’m not scared of these people, far from it. But I’m damned if I’m going to stand on a stage, having won a resounding victory, a ringing endorsement of all that I’ve tried to fight for, and you’ve tried to fight for, and be demeaned and humiliated by nobodies, and I will not sadly be attending the count.”

Did Essex Police Confirm A ‘Credible Threat’ Against Farage?

A Reform UK spokesperson said overnight, as quoted by LBC and the Express & Star, that

“Essex Police advised Nigel not to attend the count tonight due to a credible threat against him.”

However, both outlets reported that the Press Association understood Essex Police had not told Farage, or any other candidate, not to attend the count. A spokesperson for Essex Police told the Express & Star:

“We have a proportionate and robust policing operation to ensure the safety and security of all participants in the count.”

LBC separately reported that Essex Police said there were “no incidents or issues” during polling day or overnight as votes were counted, with a force spokesperson adding:

“We have a full and robust policing operation in place around the Clacton by-election, as we do with all significant elections in our county.”

Richard Tice, the Reform UK deputy leader, defended the party’s account when questioned by LBC, saying:

“That’s lovely if they did, good for them. Ultimately, it’s Nigel’s team who are tasked with keeping him safe, secure, and alive, and I would just gently suggest to you, let’s trust them, shall we?”

What Did The Acting Returning Officer Say About Farage’s Absence?

Ian Davidson, the chief executive of Tendring District Council and acting returning officer for the by-election, said he had not been made aware that Farage would skip the count until the Reform UK leader announced it during his speech to supporters, according to TheJournal.ie. Davidson said:

“It is up to individual candidates’ wish to attend or not to attend the count, but as far as we’re concerned we will be able to complete this count successfully and safely for all the candidates, my staff here and all the visitors.”

He added:

“I am not aware of what has been said, or what that threat is.”

LBC reported separately that Davidson declined to comment on security matters but confirmed there was a “robust policing operation” in place, and said it was Farage’s own decision “whether or not to attend the count.”

Why Was The 2026 Clacton By-Election Triggered?

The by-election was called after Farage announced on 7 July 2026 that he would vacate his Clacton seat, with his resignation accepted the following day, according to Wikipedia’s record of the contest. His decision came amid parliamentary scrutiny of his personal finances, including allegations concerning undeclared gifts and support. US News reported that a parliamentary investigation is examining whether Farage breached rules by failing to declare a £5 million gift from a cryptocurrency investor, with suspension and a further vote on his seat among the possible consequences should the inquiry find against him.

How Many Candidates Stood In The Clacton By-Election?

The contest drew a record 34 candidates, according to Wikipedia, surpassing the previous high of candidates set at the 2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election. Notably, Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Restore Britain all declined to field candidates, leaving Binface as Farage’s most prominent challenger. Of the 34 candidates who stood, 32 lost their deposit, the Express & Star reported. Turnout was recorded at 44.37 per cent, a fall of more than 14 percentage points compared with the 2024 general election, according to the same report.
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What Did Analysts Say Before The Result Was Declared?

Ahead of polling day, elections specialist Lord Hayward suggested the contest carried heightened stakes for Farage, telling Wikipedia-cited reporting:

“It could be a triple embarrassment… because Farage has to show that a large number of Clacton voters still support him.”

With the major parties absent from the ballot, Hayward said the performance of candidates such as Binface would serve as an important indicator of sentiment in the constituency. A Survation poll of the constituency conducted on 2 August had put Farage on course for around 73 per cent of the vote, a figure the eventual 63.3 per cent result fell short of.

What Could Happen Next In Clacton?

Binface used his declaration-night appearance to suggest the political drama in Clacton may not be over. As reported by US News, he told supporters:

“Let’s all meet for part two of the Clacton by-election, coming soon to a leisure centre near you.”

A reference to the possibility that any adverse finding in the parliamentary inquiry into Farage’s finances could trigger a fresh contest for the seat. For now, Farage remains Clacton’s sitting MP, while Binface, or rather Jonathan Harvey beneath the silver helmet, has cemented his position as Britain’s most successful novelty candidate to date.