Aaron Chown/PA
General Election candidate Count Binface has said he is “ready to roll” as he guns for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s North Yorkshire seat and he is “still standing” after his previous campaigns against Theresa May and Boris Johnson.
The self-described intergalactic space warrior announced last week he will be standing in the upcoming election on July 4, setting his sights on “electoral combat” at the ballot box with Mr Sunak for candidacy in Richmond and Northallerton.
Binface, the satirical political character created by comedian Jonathan David Harvey, said his “humble ambitions to conquer the entire omniverse” motivated his decision to put his “lid in the ring”, saying he has “a few tricks up (his) sleeve” for the Count Binface Party’s key policies.
“Firstly, why stand at all, which is mixture of being at a loose end, being a huge fan of British democracy and my humble ambitions to conquer the entire omniverse,” the self-described 5,702-year-old Recyclon told the PA news agency.
“That takes me once in a while to these clashes with planetary leaders on Earth.
“I’ve taken on Mrs May in electoral combat and what happened to her?
“I took on Mr Johnson, what happened to him? I’m still standing.”
The Count added that he has parked his spaceship in Richmond and Northallerton, saying: “Don’t worry it’s not on a double yellow, it’s cloaked and totally legal.
“I’m ready to roll.”
When asked if the Count had Sky TV growing up, he said there were no satellite dishes on his home planet, Sigma IX.
“We don’t have satellite dishes, we use satellite dishes for radar but all TV is terrestrial and indeed, extra-terrestrial.
“My dad was in charge of the entire planetary system for a while but I can’t suggest that as a Recyclon I’ve had it too hard.”
On what he thought of the party’s election campaigns so far, the Count said Sir Keir Starmer was the “Jose Mourinho of British politics” in his defence of the goal, while it has been like “one long trip to Butlins” for the Lib Dems.
“I’m beginning to think Keir Starmer, who is a football fan, is basically the Jose Mourinho of British politics and he’s parked the battle bus in front of the goal in order to prevent getting anyone in,” he said.
“It’s not much fun to watch but potentially it’s strategically sound.
“Obviously the Tories…they’re not in a good shape but they have had 14 years in which not a single human I’ve spoken to has said a single thing is better in the country than it was in 2010.
“If that’s your record, one of these days it’s going to bite you, let alone having put Liz Truss in No 10.”
He added: “And meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats, it’s fantastic, it’s like one long trip to Butlins.”
Of the Prime Minister, Count Binface said he was sure Mr Sunak is a “nice man” but the Tory election campaign had brought along a few “unfortunate Mr Bean elements”.
“I bet if you went to a Southampton match, or a cricket match or treated him to some of your Sky TV – he’d love that,” he said.
“It’s the pressure of politics and it does strange things to people.
“The campaign itself seems to have brought this unfortunate Mr Bean elements to him where he keeps happening upon unfortunate photo shoot moments or leaving D-Day commemorations and sort of putting his foot in it.
“I’ve got sympathy with him on that front and I have less sympathy with him on some of his policies which have not been helpful to the UK.
“We can have disagreements on policy but it’s important to be mature about these things whether or not you have a bin on your head.”
Count Binface said he is planning to launch his manifesto for the Count Binface Party in the coming days, saying he has “a few tricks up (his) sleeve” for his key policies.
“Some of my key manifesto polices of old will probably be making some kind of an appearance,” he said.
“I’m caught in a bind – do I go for all new policies or do I play the hits?
“Some of them you’ll know and I’ve got a few little tricks up my sleeve – let’s just say, I’d be mad if I didn’t consider the local area as part of my plans.”
Of the upcoming election, Count Binface said he hopes his campaign will “raise a smile” and shows that “democracy is alive”.
“There’s something wonderful that in the year of 2024 when so many countries are going to the polls and democracy is under threat like never before, it’s still possible to do what I do,” he said.
“Hopefully it’s something that raises a smile and demonstrates that democracy is alive – it genuinely is possible for anyone to stand and I encourage people to do so.”
The Count added that he would encourage “every single human who is eligible to get yourself registered” to vote.
“Go out and make your vote count in any way and celebrate and defend democracy because you’re the only planet in the omniverse doing it and it’s fantastic,” he said.
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