Count Binface: The intergalactic warrior who could upend Britain's strangest election

Europe Count Binface: The intergalactic warrior who could upend Britain's strangest election July 10, 20265:00 AM ET By  Fatima Al-Kassab Count Binface, a candidate in the Clacton-on-Sea by-election, poses for photographers at the Glastonbury Festival, Somerset, England, June 29, 2024. Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP hide caption toggle caption Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP When Nigel Farage triggered a special election this week amid scrutiny over his finances, Britain's populist right-wing leader declared it a "people versus the establishment" election. A longtime ally of President Donald Trump, Farage has built a political profile that extends well beyond Britain's borders. He was one of the leading figures behind the campaign to leave the European Union, known as Brexit, and has spent years presenting himself as an outsider in British politics. Now, the man who once helped reshape British politics is facing one of his strangest opponents yet: a candidate dressed as a giant trash can. Sponsor Message Hours after the Reform UK leader resigned his seat in Parliament, triggering a by-election -or special election - in his Clacton-on-Sea constituency in southern England, the country's three main political parties said they would stay out of the contest. Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats all said they would not field candidates in the election, variously describing his resignation as a "stunt" and a distraction from the issue of Farage's finances. Instead, the contest has taken a bizarre turn, with Farage's battle against the establishment now sharing the spotlight with Count Binface — a satirical candidate dressed as a garbage can. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage stops outside a bucket and spade shop for a photograph while speaking to members of the public on the High Street on July 8, 2026, in Frinton-on-Sea, England. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Europe hide caption toggle caption Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Europe Farage gambles on a new election This lates...