A "trash can" has entered a by-election to choose a member of the U.K. House of Commons. It is gaining popularity among supporters with a 20% approval rating.
The Hill, a political news outlet, said on the 6th (local time) that a comedian wearing a silver trash can mask and a black cape made it onto the ballot under the name "Count Binface." The opponent is Nigel Farage, the heavyweight politician who led the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union (EU), known as Brexit. Observers say the by-election that Farage voluntarily triggered, saying "judge me directly," amid bribery allegations has turned into a satire pitting a trash can against him.
On the 13th, a by-election to reelect one member of Parliament will be held in Clacton-on-Sea, a coastal town in eastern England. A Surveytion poll of 502 Clacton residents conducted from the 16th to the 24th of last month found that among respondents who had chosen a preferred candidate, 73% picked Farage and 20% chose Count Binface. If asked to pick only between Farage and Binface, the gap narrows to 69% to 31%. Farage's chances of winning are overwhelmingly high. Even so, with 1 in 5 voters choosing a trash can comedian instead of candidates from established parties such as the Conservatives and the Labor Party, the race has become a spectacle drawing attention across British politics.
Farage is a far-right politician who made his name leading the campaign for the U.K. to leave the EU. Reform UK, the right-wing party he leads, has grown by touting anti-immigration policies and threatening the existing Conservative Party. Farage ran here in Clacton in the 2024 general election and won a seat in the House of Commons for the first time.
But from shortly after his election, he came under investigation by a parliamentary ethics body over allegations that he failed to properly report £5 million (about 9.6 billion won) in gifts from a cryptocurrency entrepreneur just before the general election. If the probe finds a serious violation, the penalty could extend to suspension. Instead of waiting for the result, Farage gave up his seat on the 8th of last month. He then immediately ran again in a by-election in the same constituency. Farage framed the by-election as "the people versus the establishment," saying he would be "judged directly by Clacton residents, not by Parliament." As for the allegations, he argued the "gifts were for security costs" and that he "did not break the rules."
The ruling Labor Party, the Conservatives, and the Liberal Democrats criticize Farage for calling an unnecessary election to cover up his own scandal. Major U.K. parties, including these, did not field candidates in this by-election as a rebuke to Farage. In their place, minor parties, independents, and satirical candidates have crowded in.
A total of 34 candidates have entered the Clacton by-election, setting a record for the most candidates in a U.K. parliamentary race. The previous record was 26 in a 2008 by-election. In the U.K., anyone can run for a Commons seat with nominations from 10 voters in the constituency and a £500 (about 960,000 won) deposit. Candidates do not need to live in the constituency. The list includes satirical candidates such as Binface and "Lord Hope of the Howl," as well as actor and right-wing activist Laurence Fox. However, by media exposure and polling support, the field narrows so that Binface is essentially the sole rival to Farage.
Rendered in Korean, Binface is closest to "Earl Trash Can Face." Binface appears at campaign events actually wearing a trash can mask. The person inside is Jonathan David Harvey, a well-known British comedy writer. Harvey bills Binface as a "galactic warrior from an alien planet" and has continuously run since 2019 in constituencies where famous prime ministers such as Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Rishi Sunak were on the ballot. Rather than winning, the aim is to stand on the same count stage as famous politicians and make their authority the butt of jokes. The best result achieved in a Westminster election was 308 votes. Two months ago, in the Makerfield by-election, he managed only 95 votes.
Binface's pledges for this election are half jokes and half jabs at Farage. For example, capping the price of ice cream below 99 pence and putting the restoration of Pluto's planetary status to a referendum are closer to jokes. By contrast, legislating to bar anyone who resigned from Parliament from immediately running in the by-election triggered by that resignation, and pledging "not to accept a £5 million gift from a cryptocurrency billionaire," are direct mockery aimed at Farage. Binface also added a promise to stay in Clacton longer than Farage.
With major party candidates absent, voters are expressing antipathy toward Farage by backing Binface, the most famous satirical candidate. A poll by Ipsos on the 8th and 9th of last month, right after Farage resigned, asked adults across the U.K. which of the two they wanted to win; Binface led with 33% to Farage's 21%. Because it measured nationwide preferences, it differs from the local race, but experts said it shows how strong the national backlash against Farage is.
However, among Clacton residents, there was pushback that local issues such as dwellings and health care were buried under the banner of punishing Farage. Independent candidates who entered seriously without the aim of mockery protested that "as the election is consumed as a 'Farage versus trash can' spectacle, local issues have been sidelined."