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Count Binface

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Re: Count Binface

#221

Post by gadders »

gpderetta wrote: post #214
gadders wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"The Exemption Rule: Parliamentary ethics rules generally require MPs to register financial interests and "personal benefits" received in the 12 months before taking office. However, Farage and Reform UK have leaned on the exemption for strictly personal gifts "which could not reasonably be thought by others to be related to membership of the House" or his political activities" Personal security would come under that…

Are we really still going with the "personal security" story? I thought he had pivoted a couple of times to other, not necessarily more credible, stories.

Have you got evidence for otherwise? He does appear to have 3-4 security people, driver etc.

Re: Count Binface

#222

Post by Nursie »

gadders wrote: post #209
Nursie wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How do international high energy costs single out the UK and make our energy costs the highest? Because of the marginal energy pricing scheme in use, which pays for all generation as if it were the most expensive. That and taxes etc. The UK energy market needs reform, blaming the Net Zero effort is ... well it's just wrong.

And paying people to not generate electricity But essentially there no countries with high renewables and low energy cost: https://nypost.com/2025/05/07/opinion/cheap-solar-and-wind-i...

An opinion piece in an American right-wing tabloid? That's surely the end of the argument then!

Re: Count Binface

#223

Post by r_i_m_b_a_u_d »

TomK32 wrote: post #111
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?…

> If he goes into the parliament building without his costume If the people vote for a man in a bin costume then he should have the right to represent them in that very same costume. On the other hand, to satisfy both his desire for a costumes as well as parliament's rules that basically allow its members to look at each other eye to eye, he might switch to a transparent bin. Something that would benefit the whole co…

> he might switch to a transparent bin

Tremendous comment :-)

Re: Count Binface

#224

Post by another-dave »

jayflux wrote: post #96
VBprogrammer wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is at least some concern within their camp that they could lose the election to a guy with a bin on his head. That for me is a win.

He’s very popular in clacton and his odds to win are like 90%, I doubt anyone in his team are genuinely worried about losing.

He'll likely win alright, but at the last GE, he only received 21,225 out of 45,648 votes cast, (so got 47% of the votes on 58% turnout).

I think you'll get a non-trivial amount of people voting for Binface either a) because you don't care about politics & think it's funny b) as "anyone but Farage" c) to treat it as a by-election because they think Binface won't take his seat and it'll trigger the 'real byelection' with their preferred party instead.

Re: Count Binface

#225

Post by dofm »

pjc50 wrote: post #213
dofm wrote: post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know if Boris ever faked being unintelligent or faked being a man of the people. Or being a bloke from the pub, actually. He did fake being a buffoon , of course, but he was doing that long, long, long before Trump. He is terrifically intelligent and obviously absurdly well-educated, he's just a liar and a sociopath. Indeed his chosen buffoonish, winging-it character hints at that, because buffoon is the easi…

The remarkable one is Kemi Badenoch, who would be in more trouble if anyone was actually paying attention to the unhinged things she's saying as leader of the Conservative party. If Farage survives the crypto donation scandal (and is therefore free to take more dodgy money), there's a real risk that the default rightwing party becomes Reform and the Conservatives become irrelevant, which would be a bizarre act of sel…

She apparently can say whatever she likes now! I have noticed recently a considerable shift in the press to asking Ed Davey what he thinks.

Whatever happens re: Farage, the rules around donations will change, I think. We need to keep money out of our politics and make large donations seem intrinsically shady (because they always are)

Re: Count Binface

#226

Post by gpderetta »

gadders wrote: post #221
gpderetta wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are we really still going with the "personal security" story? I thought he had pivoted a couple of times to other, not necessarily more credible, stories.

Have you got evidence for otherwise? He does appear to have 3-4 security people, driver etc.

I guess technically he never said it wasn't for security. Apparently the 5m was an unconditional gift for campaigning for brexit, and how he had spent the money was “not the public’s business”.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c072prlxlddo

https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-the-latest...

Re: Count Binface

#227

Post by pasc1878 »

onion2k wrote: post #75
hdgvhicv wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be prime minister you have to have support of 50%+1 of the MPs. This means either having them in your party, or having a deal with another party. You also have to be an MP. Currently Kier Starmer is a Labour mp in an area of London. He’s resigning and is being replaced by someone (Burnham) who was Labour Mayor for Manchester, but stood as MP in an area of Manchester last month after another Labour MP resigned. Bur…

You also have to be an MP. I don't think that's strictly true. You definitely don't have to be an MP in order to hold a cabinet office. I think that extends to the PM as well. It's never been tried obviously.

It has been tried but long ago.

The last member of the House of Lords to be PM was Lord Salisbury in 1900.

As noted Alec Douglas-Hume had to leave the House of Lords in 1963 and get elected as a MP.

The previous attempt would have been Lord Halifax in 1940 but by then it was clear the PM had to be from the Commons.

Re: Count Binface

#228

Post by flir »

altairprime wrote: post #178
flir wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah, you elect the person who best represents your interests, not the person who best represents you . Look on it as a hiring process. Don't you want to select someone competent?

That’s a very interesting game theory question: the answer is not always “yes”, especially when it comes to people’s secret motivations!

Well the analogy isn't perfect.

I realised I should have said "wishes". Not everyone votes based on self-interest.

(And in a FPTP system you are, IMO, better off voting against the person who least represents your wishes).

Re: Count Binface

#229

Post by M2Ys4U »

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?…

>If he goes into the parliament building without his costume, it would be a bit awkward if, say, they were required to address him by his Count Binface alias.

Members of Parliament aren't allowed to address each other by name in the Commons chamber.

All debate must be addressed to the Speaker (or Deputy Speaker if one of them are chairing the debate).

References to other members are made in the form of "the X member for Y constituency", where X is:

- "honourable" (the default);

- "right honourable" if they are sworn of the Privy Council (i.e. they've been a minister in the past);

- "learned and honourable member" (a qualified lawyer); or

- "gallant and honourable member" (somebody who has served in the armed forces).

Re: Count Binface

#230

Post by gib444 »

fauigerzigerk wrote: post #113
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?…

Also, parliament has a rule against wearing costumes like this. But Count Binface called that rule "binist" and claimed there was some wiggle room in the way the rule was worded :) I think leaving the seat empty if he wins is the only possible choice, both legally and democratically. He should make it clear that this is what would happen if he gets elected so the people of Clacton know what they are voting for.

I'd say standards have dropped so low, we may as well let in fancy dress. Lots of people in cheap thin dresses with no jacket [0] (some show knee when sat, even half an upper leg! [1]), boat shoes, white suits etc. They look like a collection of wedding guests.

Let's not get started on the sexism against men with Hoyle wanting them to wear ties and a jacket but for women just 'business-like' is expected.

[0] https://youtu.be/c3AsuotuPFs?t=94

[1] https://youtu.be/c3AsuotuPFs?t=755

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