He’s an intergalactic space warrior from the planet Sigma 9 and a part-time politician on Earth. He also wants to nationalise the singer Adele, abolish the auto-renew function for online subscriptions, cap the price of ice creams and he has a giant garbage bin for a head. Count Binface is a contender in the by-election for the parliamentary seat of Clacton in the UK. He’s up against Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who resigned from the seat in July amid scrutiny over his personal finances. Professor of Modern History Richard Toye from Exeter University says Count Binface has managed to draw attention to common criticisms of the conservative leader. When interviewers say, for example, “have you ever been to Clacton?” he says, “Well, I didn’t think this was a requirement for the job on the basis of Nigel Farage’s behaviour because he’s not really known for turning up and being there very often.” But Count Binface isn’t the first joke candidate to run in a British election. In 1963, a 22-year-old musician named David Sutch contested in a by-election under the National Teenage Party. Although he lost, the main policy he campaigned on — reducing the voting age from 21 to 18 years old — did eventuate. It was only changed in the late 1960s when [the voting age] was reduced to 18. So actually something which he’d been saying was a kind of a spoof policy just a few years earlier, actually became a real policy. But if a man with a bin for a head can run for parliament what does this say about democracy and electoral processes? I think it says that politics is a spectacle and we enjoy it. Count Binface is fun. In general I don’t think that comedy characters are an issue because, perhaps they do increase the interest of politics when it is important that people engage. Disclosure statement Richard Toye does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Isabella Podwinski, Justin Bergman and Ashlynne McGhee. Mixing by Michelle Macklem and theme music by Neeta Sarl.