So apparently what “approval rating” means in British English is different than what it means in American English.
It probably means Net Approval, i.e. Approve minus Not Approve.
Owen Jones in the Guardian reports that if there is any large body of voters in Clackers who are intending to vote for Binface, he can’t find it.
If you were intending to vote for Farage, would you state that intention to a pollster or Guardian columnist? And risk copping the derision?
You’d keep shtoom until in the privacy of the voting booth.
Polling says Farage is expected to win but that Binface could pick up 20% of the vote.
Satirical candidates individually typically get a fraction of 1% of the vote. If Binface got anywhere near 20% that would be a resounding political defeat for Farage.
I am dissapoint.
Nor really. This whole by-election is a colossal waste of time and Farage is on the hook for that, but “whoever is most likely to defeat Farage” was bound to get a significant number of votes. The fact that’s coalesced around a man with a bin on his head is a statement about the rest of the competition, not Farage.
I would have like to have been a fly on the wall when the decision was made by every major party NOT to put up anyone to oppose Farage. That’s really what’s help define this “election”. At the end of the day, Farage is going to be investigated for receiving a 5 million quid ‘gift’ regardless whether he’s an MP or not.
No, it’s definitely a statement about Farage too. But given that the rest of the field are all tiny fringe parties or independent individuals, it’s not surprising that the “Not Nigel” vote would coalesce around the one with the best campaign visibility.
The dream result is something like Farage 55%, binface 45%.
It would mean the investigations resume on Farage and the focus remains mostly on him, rather than the absurdity of binface taking a seat in parliament.
And the closeness of it would mean a hilarious nail-biter of hearing the votes read out, and Farage needing to spin it as a great win against the establishment.
(Not a dream result for clacton, obviously, as they’d be back to being represented by this clown. But that is their own choice)
But Binface is a sartorial candidate, a completely different beast.
Binface explains his political position for a US Audience
For those not inclined to click:
He gave his wacky answer, then when asked to explain it for Americans, he gave the same answer word-for-word in an American accent.
I like this guy.
Stand Up Maths looks at Binface’s election chances:
I watched that earlier and I think it’s a good breakdown but I don’t think it goes into enough detail. For example, regardless of Farage’s vote share last time, what does his support look like right now? And is Binface likely to bring out some of that large percentage of eligible voters who couldn’t be bothered last time? Do the people of Clacton see Farage’s move as a “cunning stunt” and are they sick of this kind of thing? Is the scandal around the five million pound donation that he thinks is none of your business having any traction among the electorate? After all, I bet no one, certainly not Farage, is going around giving them five million pounds. Has Farage actually done anything for his constituency? Do they owe him any loyalty? Or is it possible they have had enough of him by now?
This is just one person (and reportedly her friends and neighbors), but her message is they’re sick of it all and won’t bother voting. To be clear, she is very much not a Farage fan, and doesn’t want to participate in the charade in any way.
The nasty, stereotyping, hurtful comments about us continue. With some exceptions – like Tim Burrows’ thoughtful portrait of Clacton – we’re a human zoo, and the butt of a joke. Farage used us as a pawn, and the media treats us as clickbait.
Yet in shops, the gym, pubs, on the beach, in the street, at the park, at nursery drop off, I’ve not overheard a single conversation about any of it, unless it was between a reporter and a local. Not one. The leaflets started getting left in the hallway, unread. Few of my family or neighbours plan to vote. We’re angry at him, but we are also bored, and exhausted.
My prediction: It’ll be a low turnout, Farage way ahead, with Binface second but the only real winner. I’ll read about how we wasted the chance for a hilarious outcome, you idiots. You gullible, racist fools. You deserve him. And so on. Then it’ll die down again, briefly, and we can get back to what’s left of the summer, the lives Farage has no clue about or interest in and keep talking about the things that really matter in Clacton.
He’s done sod all for the people of clacton; he’s barely ever there, and rarely bothers to vote in parliament, including on issues that he pretends to care about.
His recent speeches were all whining about himself e.g. when he announced this by-election in a ~15 minute speech, he didn’t mention a thing he’d do for the people of clacton.
However, having policies and doing work is old politics. Nowadays a lot of people, particularly poor people in clacton are fed a diet of propaganda from GB News, facebook etc. So they’ll vote Farage back in because they think hateful rhetoric is the solution, somehow.
Just a minor legal nicety but based on constitutional law a British MP can only vacate their seat due to death, disqualification and expulsion. They cannot simply resign. To get around this impediment there are two traditional positions i.e. Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds or the Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead which are traditionally paid for by the Crown. Currently the rate of pay is zero.
Immediately any MP is appointed to an office of profit under the Crown they are disqualified from parliament. Farage was appointed as Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead in July 2026, thus enabling his resignation.
Farage is still the Steward of Northstead, and remains so until somebody else is appointed. So when/if he wins in Clacton, he holds a position which debars him from sitting in parliament. It is a minor administrative action to appoint somebody else to the role. But if Chancellor of the Exchequer doesn’t, then Farage remains disqualified. And of course, if/when he is readmitted to parliament then the parliamentary enquiry into his finances will resume. It’s findings will likely lead to his expulsion.
I’m sure Count Binface is more than qualified for the position. It’d be a fitting consolation prize.
More likely the Chancellor, John Healey, after they have sated their jollies will reappoint the previous holder.
Count Binface won’t take the position. It would disqualify him from contesting the following Clacton by-election or any other seat at the next General Election.