Count Binface has become the only challenger to Nigel Farage in the Clacton by-election after all major parties declined to field candidates, turning the contest into a likely two-man race.
Farage triggered the by-election by resigning as MP for Clacton, simultaneously facing scrutiny over an undeclared £5 million gift from donor Christopher Harborne. British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves called the contest a "farce and a desperate distraction". Labour, the Conservatives, the Greens, and the Liberal Democrats have all refused to stand, leaving Count Binface — who has raised over £15,000 from thousands of small donors — as the sole alternative.
Binface, who styles himself a 5,900-year-old alien and has become a focus of tactical voting, has admitted he will probably not win, though discussions are underway about changing parliamentary rules to allow him to wear his helmet in the Commons.