Althouse: "As expected, Mr. Farage easily defeated dozens of fringe and novelty candidates, including Count Binface, who wears a trash-can-themed costume."

August 14, 2026

"As expected, Mr. Farage easily defeated dozens of fringe and novelty candidates, including Count Binface, who wears a trash-can-themed costume."

"None of Britain’s other major parties participated in the race, the results of which were announced early Friday. They called it a political stunt engineered by the Reform leader to distract from the investigation. Mr. Farage received 22,239 votes, or 63 percent. Count Binface, a character played by Jon Harvey, 46, a writer and comedian, received 9,455 votes, or 27 percent. Mr. Binface’s previous best result was 1 percent in a London mayoral election."

From "Farage Wins Special U.K. Election That He Initiated, as Expected/Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform U.K., won the Clacton by-election with 63 percent. Count Binface, his costumed main rival, came second with 27 percent, a personal best" (NYT gift link).

55 comments:

tim maguire said...: Farage won handily, but he can't claim vindication when a joke candidate got 27%; 8/14/26, 9:47 AM
Scott Patton said...: Is Clacton by-election anything like Stratford-upon-Avon ?; 8/14/26, 9:47 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: He won yes. But a man with a bin on his head took almost half as many votes. Who was the establishment candidate?

Farage was always going to win in Clacton. That’s why he ran there. The real news is that 30% of voters would rather have the lesser clown as MP.; 8/14/26, 9:48 AM
Leland said...: It was the exact opposite of trying to distract from an investigation. It was to put it front and center as a question to voters in which they responded. The investigation is lawfare, in which the purpose of the investigation is to suggest impropriety. The investigation will never lead to criminal charges because no crime was committed. Farage was a private citizen and lawfully allowed to accept gifts of any amount from anyone that wants to give him one, just like everyone else that is a private citizen.; 8/14/26, 9:56 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: I think Count Binface will need to retire from politics now; imagine losing to such an unserious joke of a candidate...; 8/14/26, 10:05 AM
hanuman_prodigious_leaper said...: Why Could not Binface stuff few more votes in? Asking for Democrat.; 8/14/26, 10:27 AM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: QUITE FRANKLY, WE WON THIS ELECTION BY A LOT!!! There was MASSIVE FRAUD, Big Time, with DEAD PEOPLE and YANKS voting for Slimy Nigie. We are going to go to our BIG, BEAUTIFUL PARLIAMENT, and We are going to MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD! #WWG1WGA
#MEGA #Binface; 8/14/26, 10:31 AM
Mary Beth said...: Since many of the main parties sat out the election, I wouldn't take his higher than normal number of votes very seriously.

Who pays for his campaign? Except for one against Andy Burnham, most seem to be against conservatives. My first impression of him is that running as a joke candidate is a good way to make the real main candidates look unserious. I'll change my mind if he runs in a race that a far left candidate is expected to win.; 8/14/26, 10:31 AM
john mosby said...: Calling an election is the classic British parliamentary tradition whenever the people's support is in question. The establishment is enraged at Farage because he is resurrecting this practice after they thought they'd buried it at the crossroads with a stake through its heart. All the intra-party changes in Prime Minister over the last few years took place without a general election. In the old days, if a PM failed to keep the confidence of Parliament, he or she would call an election.

This last intra-Labour change of PM was perpetrated by having a very similar by-election in Makerfield, in which a Labour MP graciously stepped aside so Andy Burnham could run for the seat. Beam, splinter.

Labour and the Tories refused to participate in the Clacton by-election because they knew they'd lose, and because they did not want to give the establishment imprimatur to 'going to the people.' CC, JSM; 8/14/26, 10:32 AM
Peaceful warrior said...: Leland, Clacton’s voters answered the political question, “Do we want Nigel Farage as our MP after this £5 million contribution?” And, as you point out, Farage didn’t hide the controversy. Instead, he chose to put it before the voters as a political issue.

But the election didn't answer the question, "Did Farage comply with Parliament’s established ethics and disclosure rules?" Parliament is entitled to answer that second question for itself. That’s not lawfare, in my opinion.; 8/14/26, 10:33 AM
john mosby said...: IEE, you laugh, but we could use some Binfaces here. CC, JSM; 8/14/26, 10:35 AM
Peachy+2 said...: Teh corrupt left will never relinquish power.; 8/14/26, 10:41 AM
hanuman_prodigious_leaper said...: So Parliament <> institutionalized DEEP STATE; 8/14/26, 11:10 AM
Skeptical Voter said...: As usual the NYT doesn't like Farage---zzzzzz what else is new from the news kiddies at the Gray Lady?; 8/14/26, 11:18 AM
stlcdr said...: When 'joke' candidates get votes, it demonstrates how much of a farce the government process is.; 8/14/26, 11:32 AM
loudogblog said...: Count Binface's YouTube videos are pretty good.; 8/14/26, 11:37 AM
james said...: Howling Laud Hope, the candidate for The Official Monster Raving Loony Party also did not win. "To reduce Government spending, we will replace all Government Think Tanks with a Bucket."; 8/14/26, 11:38 AM
Yancey Ward said...: Farage will never be allowed to be Prime Minister- if necessary,
in the next election the Tories and Labour will coordinate in every single constituency to dilute Reform's vote count by not running candidates in some constituencies. The French left and Macron pulled this trick a few years ago to prevent LePen's party from getting control of the legislature.; 8/14/26, 11:50 AM
Yancey Ward said...: If you ran Count Binface in any U.S. House district but no candidate from the usual opposition party for that district, he would get about 20-30% everywhere. The two bigger parties made an error here- they should have run a strong Tory candidate and no Labour candidate- they might well have gotten rid of Farage in Parliament. Of course, this might have backfired badly had they taken that approach and succeeded.; 8/14/26, 11:55 AM
baghdadbob said...: tim maguire said...
"Farage won handily, but he can't claim vindication when a joke candidate got 27%"

Does that mean Trump can't claim vindication for his 2024 win?; 8/14/26, 12:08 PM
Wince said...: Monty Python Election Night Special: Sensible Party v. Silly Party

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PZz0tL1nZWI&pp=0gcJCWoCo7VqN5tD&ra=m; 8/14/26, 12:09 PM
John henry said...: Yancey Ward said...

" Farage will never be allowed to be Prime Minister"

Quite right. Unless King William should decide that he should be PM.

Never forget that the kin has ABSOLUTE power to appoint whoever he wishes to be PM, or to not appoint any PM at all. Or to fire a PM for any reason at all or no reason. Perhaps is was just coincidence that Liz Truss was forced out 28 days after Chuck became king.

The king seldom exercises any of his Stalinesque powers publicly. But it is only tradition and his better nature that stops him. They may eventually get a king without a better nature.

Or they may get a king with a better nature. One who decides that he (or she) cannot stand by and allow the degradation to continue.

John Henry; 8/14/26, 12:10 PM
Blair said...: The Count Binface vote doesn't mean anything. He got the votes that Labour, Lib Dems, Greens and even the Tories would normally get. Farage is the constituency's incumbent, and won with a handy majority last time, which he actually increased this time. Anybody reading more into what happened than that is either ignorant or disingenuous.; 8/14/26, 12:12 PM
Blair said...: If anything, the Binface vote was lower than expected, given that no major parties other than Reform were running.; 8/14/26, 12:14 PM
s'opihjerdt said...: "Farage won handily, but he can't claim vindication when a joke candidate got 27%"

Crowley too.; 8/14/26, 12:14 PM
FredSays said...: The Marquette Poll predicted Count Binface would win in a landslide.; 8/14/26, 12:20 PM
Indefinitely Extended Excursion™️ said...: "It was to put it front and center as a question to voters in which they responded."

He is a diminished figure by trying to pretend that the people of Clacton are a jury who decide whether he broke parliamentary rules for his failures to disclose multimillion pound donations amidst a sea of irregularities. They're not.

His thin skin, abuse of the rules and the stench of illegality and doing the bidding of whoever throws him and other members of Reform money at the expense of the public interest has only become more vivid. He is no more a man of the people than Andrew Windsor.; 8/14/26, 12:23 PM
Blair said...: "Farage will never be allowed to be Prime Minister"

The King *must* appoint a Prime Minister who commands the support of the House of Commons. If Reform constitutes a majority, or forms a coalition to constitute a majority, the King must invite him to form a government. Failure to do so would create a constitutional crisis, and risk him being deposed, as a previous Charles found out at the cost of his head.; 8/14/26, 12:27 PM
Blair said...: "His thin skin, abuse of the rules and the stench of illegality and doing the bidding of whoever throws him and other members of Reform money at the expense of the public interest..."

Accepting gifts of money as a private citizen is not illegal. And there is no public interest, because Reform are not in government and therefore not accountable for anything other than the policies that people voted them in to implement.; 8/14/26, 12:33 PM
boatbuilder said...: "He is a diminished figure by trying to pretend that the people of Clacton are a jury who decide whether he broke parliamentary rules for his failures to disclose multimillion pound donations amidst a sea of irregularities. They're not."

God forbid that the voters should have any say in all this.

"The people are revolting."; 8/14/26, 12:35 PM
Yancey Ward said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 8/14/26, 12:47 PM
Yancey Ward said...: Blair, Reform will never be allowed to win a majority of seats- the two main parties will collude to prevent this from happening. And, if it ever appears that Reform can't be stopped this way, then they will ban the party altogether. This same thing is going to happen in Germany with AfD. I suspect the exact same thing will happen in France when they hold the next election- if LePen can't be voted down they will ban her and her party before the election on some pretext.; 8/14/26, 12:48 PM
RideSpaceMountain said...: "Failure to do so would create a constitutional crisis, and risk him being deposed, as a previous Charles found out at the cost of his head."

As I mentioned yesterday, they might absolutely risk that. Britain is still just a veiled class-based aristocracy. The people are fundamentally "subjects". The British upper crust do fundamentally believe in a 'right to rule'.

"The people are [revolting]" is absolutely something the British people should do.; 8/14/26, 12:49 PM
Lazarus said...: Wait for the late returns. Binny McBinface is going to sweep.; 8/14/26, 1:35 PM
RCOCEAN II said...: Just more evidence that the Tories are even worse than Labour. Why didn't they run against Reform? Aren't they the "Mainstream" and Reform "The Far-Right"?

Like the USA and Republicans, you have a lot of dumb boomers will go to their graves voting Tory. No matter what they do, or how much the Tories agree with the Left on almost everything.

Notable that the Greens and Lib-Dems were AWOL. Farage won his seat in 2024 with about the same number of votes.; 8/14/26, 1:38 PM
Clyde said...: In his victory speech early Friday morning, Mr. Farage declared that the “jury” of his constituents had issued their judgment. “Today, the voters in Clacton have stuck two fingers up to the entire political establishment.”

Is that the middle finger each hand, as we would do here, or is it the index and middle fingers of one hand held up backwards? I'm guessing the latter.; 8/14/26, 1:41 PM
RCOCEAN II said...: The Establishment is going after Farage with some sort "Foriegn asset" charge just like they did with Trump-Russia. That's the playbook. Firs they try to find some bimbo who will claim the Establishments enemy "sexually assaulted" them. If they cant get that then they go to some corruption charge. If there's nothing there, they go to some mysterious "Colluding with X" charge.

Of course, you always count on libtards to pretend to outraged over the charge, just like they will say zero when their candidate is charged with the same thing. Libtards are just fakes and liars. No principles except "follow the party line" and "Just win baby, just win".; 8/14/26, 1:42 PM
Clyde said...: This just goes to show that the U.S.A has the worst form of government, except for all of the others.; 8/14/26, 1:44 PM
Quaestor said...: "Fringe and novelty candidates..." says NYT.

Typical bullshit.

The real story is how Labour and the Tories were so fearful of being humiliated that neither of those roundly despised "non-fringe" parties even stood a candidate.; 8/14/26, 2:16 PM
John henry said...: Blair said...

"Farage will never be allowed to be Prime Minister"

The King *must* appoint a Prime Minister who commands the support of the House of Commons.

No.

There is no law requiring that.

Only custom and tradition. And not even that long a tradition, 150-200 years or so. Out of 1000 or so of English history.

John Henry; 8/14/26, 2:26 PM
Aggie said...: Hey ! He stole Obama's line: 'Donald Trump will never be President' (theatrically drops mike).; 8/14/26, 3:12 PM
Jamie said...: Breaking: Jason Arday has been found dead.; 8/14/26, 3:30 PM
n.n said...: Twilight Fringe?; 8/14/26, 3:35 PM
Kirk Parker said...: Blair,

> as a previous Charles found out at
> the cost of his head.

I have always wondered what kind of bizarre monarch, or monarch in waiting, would name their son after the country's only regicide...; 8/14/26, 3:49 PM
rehajm said...: …Nigel sporting the boat shoes and Nantucket reds the other day- way to be one of the people…; 8/14/26, 3:51 PM
Original Mike said...: "Breaking: Jason Arday has been found dead."

I have been actively ignoring the Arday story, because I didn't it would teach me anything I didn't already know.; 8/14/26, 3:52 PM
RideSpaceMountain said...: Fabulation shouldn't mandate a death sentence, but for a fabulist so obsessed with the arc of his narrative as Arday was, he probably thought he had no other choice. Now his apologists will pretend to mourn him as they use his choice to attack those who caught him.

Arday might have wanted it that way.; 8/14/26, 4:00 PM
gspencer said...: Oh, Lawdy, Lawdy! Whatever we gonna do now. The brilliance, the scholarship, the inspiration to millions!

It now b all gone. And who dun dude this?

All 'em white crackers.; 8/14/26, 4:39 PM
Mary Beth said...: "I have always wondered what kind of bizarre monarch, or monarch in waiting, would name their son after the country's only regicide..."

Charles II was the first king after the restoration of the monarchy. Maybe Elizabeth felt that redeemed the name. My complaint is that Charles could have chosen any of his names to be his "king" name and he went with Charles instead of Arthur. I might have changed my opinion about him if he had chosen to be King Arthur.; 8/14/26, 4:44 PM
Quaestor said...: "Only custom and tradition."

Only? The constitution of the United Kingdom is entirely custom and tradition.; 8/14/26, 5:25 PM
Quaestor said...: "My complaint is that Charles could have chosen any of his names to be his "king" name and he went with Charles instead of Arthur."

I'm unsure whether Charles had that option, since he was invested heir apparent as Charles, Prince of Wales in 1969; 8/14/26, 5:32 PM
Tina Trent said...: That's terrible. But it's also an act of violence against perceived enemies. I put all blame on the academic fabulists who shined him on. Another, yet exteeme, example of the perversion of academic ethics today. Still, his parents worked very hard to help him. Nothing but decency and prayers for them.; 8/14/26, 5:42 PM
Tina Trent said...: Do not mock the family, OK?; 8/14/26, 5:43 PM
Kirk Parker said...: Mary Beth,

I suppose we should just be relieved that he didn't decide to call himself King Ahmed, eh?; 8/14/26, 6:04 PM
Achilles said...: You all need to connect the dots here.

The strait of Hormuz will be closed until Labour is deposed in Britain.

Just a reminder.; 8/14/26, 6:14 PM