COUNT Binface has responded after Nigel Farage won the Clacton by-election.
A record 34 candidates stood after the Reform UK leader quit as an MP to force a by-election in protest at scrutiny over donations he received from a crypto billionaire.
The mainstream parties refused to stand candidates which meant satirical candidate Count Binface emerged as Farage’s main challenger.
Farage won with 22,239 votes, with Count Binface on 9455.
Binface said the result, which was announced at around 6am on Friday, had "humiliated" Farage, and that he was “the winning candidate of the candidates who bothered to turn up for the results”.
It comes after Farage refused to turn up to the count after saying the police advised him that there was a credible threat against him – a claim the force has denied.
"I always like to meet the great and the good of the political world," Binface told the media after the result was declared.
"Again I ask you to draw your comparison. Theresa May, I met her at an election. Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson, Andy Burnham – they all came to the count."
Binface said that he had asked Essex Police if there was "any credible threat of disruption here" following Farage's claims of a threat against him.
"I can tell you they said unequivocally none," Binface continued. "It was safe to go ahead. So again I leave you guys to draw your own conclusions."
Binface continued: "I am gratified that after this election I have been able to sort of put the seal on it by coming to get the verdict of the good people of Clacton. I think that's the nice way to do it.
"I promised to be a local champion for Clacton and I thought to hear the verdict of the Clactonites was the least I could do.
"And why? Because I've had over 9000 votes, guys. Now, in Makerfield eight weeks ago I got 95 votes. So against Nigel Farage compared to Andy Burnham I am 1000 times more popular.
"Does that have anything to do with why he isn't here tonight, on a night when they said they thought they'd get over 80%? Again, I'll leave that to you.
"All I will say to you is what happens next? Let's all meet for part two of the Clacton by-election – coming soon to a leisure centre near you."
Binface added: "As for me, I’m over the moon. I’m over your moon. I’m over my moons. And what comes next? Well, we shall see.
“But you know what? We know this for a fact. Over one in four people in this constituency would rather have Count Binface as their MP than the leader of Reform UK, and I’m just getting started.”
