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Count Binface

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Re: Count Binface

#101

Post by flowerbreeze »

ayaros wrote: post #87

I have so many questions... I wonder how the legalities of this work. If people write in "Count Binface" or if that's the name on the ballot, then if he wins, does that mean Jonathan David Harvey (the actual name of the guy who plays him) is elected? Does Count Binface count as an alias? If not, he required to use that name while in office - or more precisely, is he not considered a member if he goes by his own name?…

In my experience in the UK aliases and names are used in a rather flexible way compared to other countries. Anybody can decide on a name and start using it. It's not illegal unless it is done for the purpose of deceiving people.

If people commonly use it to refer to them it makes it that person's name for most purposes. Changing the name officially also requires only an affirmation or an oath at a court, although I don't think this would be the case here.

I think nobody would care much and the majority of politicians would go along with Count Binface as the proper way of address, because it'd be rude to do otherwise. Not the least because picking a fight with Count Binface would be seen as getting themselves dirty in non-serious politics. Not a very attractive proposition to be perceived as such for most political parties no matter how ridiculous their actions might be otherwise.

Re: Count Binface

#102

Post by dofm »

madaxe_again wrote: post #67
dofm wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't know how I feel about the British comedy candidate outclassing half of the American elected leadership–and a good fraction of its industrial leadership–on IQ.) Your entire political system has flirted with anti-intellectualism for over a century; it used to pretend to be uneducated simpletons to appeal to the electorate (witness, e.g. the folksy “ahhm just a simple mayynn” gurning schtick of Senator John Ke…

Isn’t it the democratic ideal though? Of the people, for the people. If a representative democracy is to truly be representative then the elected representatives should be… representative? Tuberville and Mullin I wouldn’t say were thick so much as they’re pretty average.

Goodness, if Tuberville is average then the USA is in much worse shape than it realises.

Mullin, like MTG, has some political instincts and some facility with the parliamentary process, as it turns out, and I almost feel bad about putting him in the same category as Tuberville, but he is not a smart guy.

Don’t get me wrong, we have many mediocre politicians in the UK, but few like these guys at the parliamentary level.

The difference is this whole flirting with anti-intellectualism thing. Pretending to be less educated or intellectual than you are has just not been a big part of our wider culture.

Re: Count Binface

#103

Post by edent »

ayaros wrote: post #87

I have so many questions... I wonder how the legalities of this work. If people write in "Count Binface" or if that's the name on the ballot, then if he wins, does that mean Jonathan David Harvey (the actual name of the guy who plays him) is elected? Does Count Binface count as an alias? If not, he required to use that name while in office - or more precisely, is he not considered a member if he goes by his own name?…

There's no such thing as a "legal name" in the UK. For example, Boris Johnson's first name isnt actually Boris - that's just what he goes by.

Re: Count Binface

#104

Post by deanc »

hdgvhicv wrote: post #94
deanc wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just want to preface this by saying he's a repugnant, awful human being and potentially is going to be one of the worst things that ever happens to the UK. But... that's exactly what people in Clacton voted him in for. He was never going to represent their local interests - I think a lot of the locals realise that now. They care more about "immigration" and race-baiting than they care about the pot holes on their r…

Except 55% of these that voted in 2024 did not vote for him

That's the British voting system for you :)

Re: Count Binface

#105

Post by TomK32 »

thih9 wrote: post #41

Novelty candidates sometimes get elected, e.g. Stuart Drummond. > Drummond immediately decided to concentrate on politics and ceased being H'Angus; he was quoted as saying, "I am Stuart Drummond, I am the Mayor of Hartlepool, not the monkey." Drummond was re-elected in 2005, more than doubling his vote (up to over 16,000) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H'Angus

He was re-elected once more in 2009 and because the English have a really weird political system, the direct election of mayor was abolished by a vote in 2012 making him the first, last and only directly elected mayor the town ever had.

Re: Count Binface

#107

Post by esskay »

ayaros wrote: post #87

I have so many questions... I wonder how the legalities of this work. If people write in "Count Binface" or if that's the name on the ballot, then if he wins, does that mean Jonathan David Harvey (the actual name of the guy who plays him) is elected? Does Count Binface count as an alias? If not, he required to use that name while in office - or more precisely, is he not considered a member if he goes by his own name?…

We're super flexible on name law in the UK. I could change my name right now and just use it, I dont need any formal approval or anything to do so. It only becomes a legal issue if you do it for legally questionable reasons.

Re: Count Binface

#108

Post by manarth »

bluehatbrit wrote: post #91
robin_reala wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The election was triggered because a populist politician being investigated for corruption decided to step down, triggering an election so that he could run again to theoretically prove that he was who the people wanted regardless of the corruption investigation. This backfired when every other party refused to field a candidate (that is, to go along with his plan), apart from Binface. So Farage’s “me vs the establis…

It's also worth noting that he's being investigated by the Parliamentary Standards Committee. Now that he has stepped down as an MP, that investigation would ordinarily be paused (and is from what I can tell). It would be resumed if he won but he gets a while to organise things before he has to face them again.

And if the Standards Committee find sufficient wrong-doing to suspend an MP for 10 days or more, the suspension automatically triggers a recall-petition.

If the recall-petition is signed by 10% or more of voters in that MP's constituency, this triggers a by-election.

So there's a reasonable possibility that once the investigation concludes, there will be another by-election in Clacton.

Re: Count Binface

#109

Post by wizzwizz4 »

edent wrote: post #103
ayaros wrote: post #87

I have so many questions... I wonder how the legalities of this work. If people write in "Count Binface" or if that's the name on the ballot, then if he wins, does that mean Jonathan David Harvey (the actual name of the guy who plays him) is elected? Does Count Binface count as an alias? If not, he required to use that name while in office - or more precisely, is he not considered a member if he goes by his own name?…

There's no such thing as a "legal name" in the UK. For example, Boris Johnson's first name isnt actually Boris - that's just what he goes by.

The first name component of the name "Boris Johnson" is Boris. It's just as valid a name as any other name he goes by, for both social and legal purposes.

Re: Count Binface

#110

Post by esskay »

gostsamo wrote: post #66
stingraycharles wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What I find interesting is that he seems to be the only candidate? Aren’t there actual political parties that could have produced legitimate candidates?

There were but decided not to stand candidates, likely fearing humiliating defeat.

Yeah no, if thats your takeaway then you've severely misunderstood the situation. They dont expect, nor want to win that seat. They want Nige to win it back so he's held accountable as thats in their interest. And then when he's likely ousted later this year they'll all run when theres another election.
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