Welcome to your first Best of Bylines newsletter of the week, sharing a fresh article from one of our 10 UK national and regional publications.
This time we turn our lens on Clacton and Thursday’s by-election, in the company of Central Bylines co-founder and Bylines Network social media manager Mark Cunliffe. Who could be better to guide us through an election that has, almost inevitably, been as notable for comedy memes as speeches?
There are political campaigns. There are protest campaigns. And then there are byelections that even cabinet ministers describe as a “farce”, and which might be best remembered for a man wearing a bin on his head, announcing he has come to save democracy.
As Mark reveals, the candidate known as Count Binface has inspired the satirical flair of countless internet creators, drawing attention from 100,000s of people on social media platforms, whilst opening spaces for reflection on some far more serious underlying issues.
Nigel Farage’s apparent stunt, which some have described as a ploy to avoid parliamentary scrutiny over his financial affairs, was quickly scuppered when all the major parties announced they would not stand in the byelection. Politicians were quick to make fun of Nigel Farage standing against Count Binface, with former Chancellor Rachel Reeves posting on X, “It is a farce and a desperate distraction, and the people of Clacton deserve better. But if he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won’t stop him”.
Binface was ready and his campaign quickly gathered momentum with a number of high profile media interviews, with Binface delivering one of the shortest and sharpest political put-downs of any election and a clear jibe at Nigel Farage’s appalling record of visiting Clacton and only mentioning Clacton twice in Parliament the last year as their MP and representative. Asked by BBC’s Breakfast show, Sarah Campbell, whether he had ever visited Clacton, quick-witted Binface replied:
“No, because I understand from the current incumbent that is part of how you do the job, so I deliberately stayed away. Is that how it works?
Politics is back, baby! “
Jon Brady@_jonbrady
BBC: "have you ever been to Clacton?" @CountBinface: "no, because I understand from the current incumbent that is part of how you do the job." politics is BACK, baby
8:31 AM · Jul 8, 2026 · 792K Views
143 Replies · 4.6K Reposts · 60.5K Likes
When “intergalactic space warrior” Count Binface landed safely in Clacton, many assumed he was just there for laughs. The internet, however, had other ideas.
The memes kept coming, escalating with Binface’s supporters running beautifully simple slogans such as “It’s time to clean up Clacton”.
Daniel Kebede@DanielKebedeNEU
A candidate we can all get behind.
7:31 PM · Jul 7, 2026 · 4.8K Views
7 Replies · 93 Reposts · 435 Likes
Rascal Centrist #FBPE 🇪🇺@centrist_rascal
@dave43law
3:41 AM · Jul 9, 2026 · 196 Views
2 Reposts · 8 Likes
dave lawrence 🐟🐟🐠@dave43law
🤣
6:38 AM · Jul 11, 2026 · 34.1K Views
58 Replies · 1.35K Reposts · 4.63K Likes
What about the cost of Farage’s self-initiated byelection? Reform claimed they would pay the bill. Didn’t they know that this was impossible under UK law? The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) spokesperson told LBC, “To maintain the independence and impartiality of the electoral process, the law is clear that the cost of running elections must be met from public funds, and not by candidates or political parties.”
Nigel Farage is no stranger to accusations of being a “grifter”, and some have argued that recent high-profile questions inflicted serious damage on his reputation. I will let readers make up their own minds on these matters, but wonder if many of you will be more focused on struggling to afford a holiday this year, or scraping enough money to feed the kids in an enduring cost-of-living crisis.
dave lawrence 🐟🐟🐠@dave43law
🤣🤣🤣
1:50 PM · Jul 8, 2026 · 44.8K Views
21 Replies · 937 Reposts · 4.28K Likes
Binface’s campaigning style has engaged of a lot of other people, inspiring a rash of posting on social media. Some portrayed black bin bags hanging from the windows of Clacton in support of Count Binface.
Paul Budding@_Students_Hero_
This is incredible Clacton support for Count Binface.
6:44 PM · Jul 10, 2026 · 86 Views
2 Replies · 3 Reposts · 5 Likes
A particularly inspired meme imagined Nigel Farage rowing away from the white cliffs of Dover in a tiny boat named the Brexit Belter with Count Binface on the beach holding up a sign reading “Leave Means Leave”.
Yorkshire Victor Meldrew+his dog@TheMeldrew
I know there's not much chance but you never know
2:21 PM · Jul 9, 2026 · 14.3K Views
16 Replies · 226 Reposts · 1.12K Likes
Others went with the boat theme but referred to the ongoing questions surrounding some rather large and donations.
DavidRowe ⧖ - Caution, you may encounter nuance.@DavidRoweWTL
@PaulSchleifer @siany65 "Look mate", I hope they aren't laughing at #Binface! Our saviour, the brave bin of politics, boldly going where no bin has gone before. Not for the money, but for his bin kin!
1:37 PM · Jul 15, 2026 · 50 Views
2 Likes
Karl Turner MP, took a swipe at Farage’s complaint to the Greater Manchester police that there had been Muslim family-voting during the recent Gorton and Denton by-election.
In my opinion, perhaps Nigel Farage should have issued a public apology for wasting valuable police time since they found no substance to his allegations. Should they not be out fighting real criminals on the streets of Manchester, not having ultra-rich politicians waste their valuable time?
Karl Turner MP@KarlTurnerMP
No wonder @reformparty_uk have an issue with ‘family voting’. 🤷🏼♂️
5:01 PM · Jul 9, 2026 · 12.1K Views
27 Replies · 58 Reposts · 488 Likes
Just when observers thought things couldn’t get any more surreal, the fun took a new twist. Candidates traditionally boast about humble beginnings. Some speak of growing up in council houses, some tell stories about working in factories. With this clear reference to Sir Keir Starmer, “My Father was a bin maker”.
Associated Rogue@hejwych
@BBCBreakfast Hail Binface!
9:41 AM · Jul 8, 2026 · 27.9K Views
4 Replies · 47 Reposts · 1K Likes
Seems like Count Binface’s supporters have borrowed from classic children’s TV shows: “Oh, my MP’s a dustbin, He wears a dustbin’s hat…”
It may not have been Land of Hope and Glory. But it is undeniably memorable. And so is this creation by James Cunliffe:
Political strategists spend millions attempting to create slogans that voters remember; have we found a new one for fans to sing on the terraces of Clacton Town FC, which I am sure Farage and Binface have visited many times.
Anna Schurer 🪡🧵@AnnaSchurer
Clacton in the near future:
2:58 PM · Jul 16, 2026 · 56 Views
1 Reply · 1 Like
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