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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National
Nicholas Cecil and Luke Reevey

Count Binface takes swipe at Zack Polanski as he announces if he's standing in Holborn by-election

Count Binface has taken a pop at Zack Polanski as he revealed if he will stand in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.

The space and electoral warrior character created by comedian Jon Harvey put out a video clip on his decision on whether to fight the latest by-election.

It comes just weeks after he took on Nigel Farage in the Clacton by-election.

The Reform UK leader won comfortably but failed to show up at the count for the official result announcement, avoiding potential embarrassment in the highly bizarre contest.

Nigel Farage and Count Binface (Nigel Farage and Count Binface)
Nigel Farage and Count Binface (Nigel Farage and Count Binface)

Count Binface spent his summer campaign for the Essex seat mocking Mr Farage, partly for triggering the contest in the first place.

Announcing his decision on Holborn and St Pancras, he told of his “solemn duty to challenge major political leaders” - so he would not be entering the contest.

The dismissal of Mr Polanski as not being a “major political leader” comes despite the Green Party achieving spectacular successes at the May local elections in London, gaining control of a string of councils.

The Greens also won the Gorton and Denton by-election in February.

Nationwide, they appear to have around the same level of support as the Liberal Democrats, in the low teens, or possibly slightly less.

Green MP for Gorton and Denton, Hannah Spencer, with party leader Zack Polanski (PA Wire)
Green MP for Gorton and Denton, Hannah Spencer, with party leader Zack Polanski (PA Wire)

But these facts were not enough to persuade Count Binface to stand in north London.

He explained: “Hi, humans Count Binface here.

“So Keir Starmer's final U-turn has given us all another by-election.

“So far on your planet, I've stood against four of your Prime Ministers, and I've run for London mayor twice, eight elections in all, and only one of my opponents has been too humiliated to show up for the results.

“Now there is a new parliamentary by-election in the constituency of Holborn and St Pancras, and it is my solemn duty to challenge major political leaders, so I'm delighted to announce....I see no such reason to stand in this one.”

Count Binface stood against Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election (AFP/Getty)
Count Binface stood against Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election (AFP/Getty)

He added: “I'm going back to Sigma IX for a little bit of R and R and a nice can of WD-41.

“Plus, I've got a funny feeling there might just be a second leg in Clacton in the not so distant future.”

Referring to two £36 million donations to Reform UK by crypto-millionaires, he predicted: “See you soon, Nigel (Farage). Don't spend your £72 million all at once.”

Mr Polanski is seeking a historic win for his party in the north London by-election.

But he suffered a setback when George Galloway announced he was standing in the contest.

If the leader of the Workers Party of Britain presses ahead with his bid to be the MP for Holborn and St Pancras it could split the Left-leaning, anti-Labour vote.

George Galloway is standing in the north London by-election (PA Wire)
George Galloway is standing in the north London by-election (PA Wire)

The contest is being fiercely fought, with large numbers of both Labour and Green activists campaigning in the constituency.

Andy Burnham made a surprise visit to the constituency last week, when he met Labour’s candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali, leader of Camden Council.

The bookies have Labour as favourite to win.

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