Count Binface, the satirical political candidate, is set to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe festival following a second-place finish in the Clacton by-election. The alter ego of comedian Jon Harvey secured more votes than the Conservative candidate in the July 4 by-election.
Binface previously stood on the same ballot as Prime Ministers Boris Johnson in 2019 and Rishi Sunak in 2024. The character also ran as Lord Buckethead against Theresa May in 2017.
The policies attributed to Count Binface include building affordable housing, nationalizing singer Adele, and reviving the broadcast teletext service Ceefax. The major political parties did not field candidates in the Clacton by-election.
Harvey, a former BBC journalist, has prior experience performing at the Edinburgh Fringe, having had a stand-up show there in 2018. He also performed at the Glastonbury Festival in 2024. The Edinburgh Fringe show is described as a "one-hour dose of political comedy and sci-fi satire."