Farage claims victory against Count Binface
The British nationalist right-wing populist Nigel Farage has won the by-election in his constituency of Clacton in Essex – which he himself called following a corruption scandal – with 63 percent of the vote. However, the major parties had refused to field any candidates in protest against the vote. As a result, comedian Jon Harvey, standing under the novelty name Count Binface, emerged as the only significant opponent. Joke or not, Europe's media analyse the results with the seriousness they deserve.
Burnham's impetus is dangerous for Reform UK
Farage and his party are in a more difficult position than the results might suggest, says Der Tagesspiegel:
“The party stands at 22 percent in the latest polls, down from 28 percent four weeks ago. ... Moreover, the big Farage show in Clacton did not go as planned. ... And then there's Andy Burnham. The new leader has got off to a remarkably good start since mid-July, coming across as connected to the people and driven. For the first time in a long while, Labour is back in the lead in the polls. This is dangerous for Farage. After all, his rise is fuelled in part by the narrative that the established parties are useless and only Reform stands for a fresh start politically. If Burnham undermines this narrative, Farage loses his key argument.”
A meaningless victory
Farage has gained nothing with this manoeuvre, the Financial Times concludes:
“The rightwing populist's victory will not help him dodge the mounting questions over his and his party's finances. Nor will it resolve Reform's slipping poll ratings – or its current strategic impasse. ... The Reform leader has shown he is still popular in Clacton, the heavily Brexit-voting constituency he handpicked as his best prospect of getting into parliament in 2024. But, for now at least, his chances of making it all the way to No 10 look slimmer than they seemed a few months ago.”
Lack of integrity exposed
Politiken sees Farage weakened despite his certain re-election:
“Nigel Farage and his nationalist conservative party Reform UK have long been benefiting from the deep political crisis in the UK. In the 2024 general election they secured more than one in four votes. But perhaps the combination of former Prime Minister Keir Starmer's resignation, his replacement by Andy Burnham and the revelations about Farage's legal violations have finally woken up British voters. ... The farce in Clacton should mark the beginning of the end for both Nigel Farage and Reform UK. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has got off to a good start – and Farage has exposed his own corruption and lack of integrity.”
Why the bin is so popular
For European Pravda, Count Binface's 27 percent count can be put down to a protest vote:
“Voters were willing to vote for even the most absurd candidate – just as long as it wasn't Farage. Nonetheless, Count Binface's popularity comes as no surprise. British society was taken with the tenacity of the comedian with the bin on his head – he even began to turn up in nationwide polls. … It could be argued that Count Binface's success not only reflects the attitude of a significant proportion of the British public towards Nigel Farage, but is also symptomatic of the views held by some Britons regarding contemporary politics.”