Blow for Nigel Farage as Brits say they would back Count Binface in Clacton by-election as Reform chief now faces competition from fresh rivals including a fox and a fishfinger

By CHRISTIAN CALGIE, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT-AT-LARGE Published: 17:17, 10 July 2026 | Updated: 17:18, 10 July 2026 A worrying new poll for Nigel Farage has seen the British public say they would back Count Binface to win the Clacton by-election if given the chance. A national survey for Ipsos Mori saw 33% say they would prefer the space-themed joke candidate to win the contest, compared to just 21% backing the Reform UK leader. Mr Farage also suffered another blow (FRI) as a separate poll by YouGov found that 40% of his own Reform UK voters now view him as 'sleazy' following weeks of stories about his personal finances and donations. YouGov reported that Mr Farage is viewed as the sleaziest politician in Britain, significantly ahead of all rivals including Keir Starmer and Zack Polanski. However voters still put the Conservative government of 2019-2024 ahead of Reform UK on the metric. Earlier this week Mr Farage dismissed concerns that he could end up being seen as a joke figure over the Clacton by-election after all the main parties refused to field candidates, leaving Count Binface as his main rival. And he ruled out participating in hustings with the intergalactic rival, branding the idea 'silly'. Binface, real name Jon Harvey, is not the only independent candidate standing in Clacton, with the contest fielding the usual suite of comedy and single-interest players. Brits say they prefer Count Binface over Nigel Farage by a 12 point margin, according to a new national survey  Nigel Farage has batted away concerns he could become a laughing stock over the by-election An animal rights candidate dressed as a fox has also entered the race, after securing 18 votes against Andy Burnham in Makerfield And a candidate known as 'Mr Fishfinger' has also entered the circus Alongside Mr Farage and Binface is Piers Corbyn, the conspiracy theorist brother of Jeremy, who is campaigning to stop compulsory vaccinations. The Reform chief will also be forced to stand on the declaration stage next to Laurence Fox, the actor and ex-husband of Billie Piper, who turned to hard-right politics in recent years and is standing for the Reclaim Party. Rob Pownall, another independent candidate, will also be hunting for votes dressed as a fox in order to 'give British wildlife a voice', shortly after winning 18 votes against Andy Burnham in Makerfield. Not to be outdone, Mr Farage also faces a third comedy candidate in the form of 'Mr Fishfinger' - real name Paul Ellis. Mr Ellis, who dresses as a life-size foam version of the popular frozen foodstuff, last entered the political fray in 2017 when he stood against then-Lib Dem leader Tim Farron in Westmorland, winning 309 votes. The Doncaster man, who vows to replace the statue of Admiral Nelson in Trafalgar Square with Captain Birdseye, insisted: 'I may be small fry in the political world, but the people of Clacton live by the sea and I'm from the sea, so we're a match made in heaven. 'Say tartare to Nige. You'll Findus much better.' Yesterday, Ipsos also polled Count Binface's own policies and found widespread popularity for his call to restore the price of a 99 flake to 99p following years of painful inflation. 69% said they backed the policy, though his demand to cap the price of a croissant at £1 also found majority support. In a blow to the Count, however, Brits said they marginally opposed his policy to force rule-breaking cyclists to ride unicycles, and to bring back Ceefax. He received a further boost yesterday when Labour donor and energy tycoon Dale Vince pledged to fund his election effort in Clacton.