Count Binface says voters in Clacton could save the taxpayer an estimated £380,000 by electing him instead of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage in the forthcoming by-election, arguing it would avoid the possibility of a second vote if a parliamentary standards investigation later leads to a recall petition.
The comedian Jon Harvey, who campaigns as Count Binface, has said he intends to stand after Farage resigned as MP for Clacton before immediately seeking re-election. Farage says he wants a fresh mandate from voters, describing the contest as 'the people versus the establishment', while denying any wrongdoing over questions surrounding his financial declarations.
