Reform UK’s Farage faces off against Count Binface in election

Voters cast their ballots today in a local English election pitting Nigel Farage against his main challenger, a comedian dressed as a trash can, in a test of opposition to the Reform UK leader’s brand of populist politics.

After weeks of facing accusations that he failed ‌to properly declare millions of pounds received from a wealthy backer, Farage abruptly resigned from parliament last month to seek a new mandate in a “people against the establishment” election in the seaside resort of Clacton.

While Farage aims to demonstrate his strong local support to bolster his position against the charges, the decision by major parties not to put up candidates has left him facing more than 30 rivals, including comedians and independents, in what will be the longest ballot paper in British political history.

His main rival is likely to be Count Binface, a silver cape-clad character created by comedian Jonathan Harvey, ​who has run against ⁠three prime ministers over the last decade to poke fun at them.