British writers in the 18th century repeatedly invented fictional characters to intervene in the politics and culture of their day. These usually began as jokes aimed at particular people or issues, but the most successful outlived their original purpose. They accumulated personalities, histories and audiences of their own, becoming trusted voices through which readers could make sense of the world.
We see a continuation of this tradition in Clacton by-election loser Count Binface. Considered a joke candidate, he made his political debut in 2019 when he stood in the general election against then prime minister, Boris Jonson. He has since become a mainstay of British political life, going on to stand in several more elections in a bid to expose political absurdity.
