On a serious point, Farage will win. We all know that.
But if the turnout is around 15%, what sort of signal does that send about how popular he is?
Especially when the investigation resumes...
If I was a voter in Clacton, I would actively go out and vote for Binface. I hope enough Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem and Green supporters in Clacton do just that. It would at least give Farage a fright.
I wonder if it is actually giving Harvey a fright also - I doubt he actually wants to be an MP...
...like others I'm of the opinion there is a tiny, tiny chance he'll actually win, but I wouldn't put it as zero because I wouldn't put it past Farage to walk away once the nominations have closed and he is having to do daily debates with a bin.
I'd put the chances of a Binface win at functionally zero even if mathematically possible. Most people won't be exercised by the joke to actually vote, so core Reform vote should still make up 80+% I'd say.
Were I in Clacton - I would be voting Binface because the election is a waste of time
One should never underestimate the popular appetite for disruptive novelty and excitement. Binface will now be, for many Clacton constituents, more of a disruptive novelty and excitement than Farage.
And in the absence of other candidates, the Count will get more publicity than he has ever had before. I've never been remotely tempted to vote for a joke candidate before, but if I lived in the constituency would be a committed Bin-voter. I might even canvass for him.
the fun now will be he will get a level of scrutiny he has never had before
I cant see how that will be enjoyable
You think people who stand for election dislike attention?
of course he will love the baiting, but there will also be some downside when his life is raked over the coals.
the downsides are not usually in the joke candidates calculations
So, the thinking earlier was that it would be funny is the Chacellor slow-walked Farage’s appointment to (check notes) the job of the Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, but now the PB consensus seems to be to appoint him ASAP today before Honourable Member for Clacton can change his mind!
The whole situation is moderately amusing, but honestly I think it would be wrong to stop him resigning, given that manoeuvre hasn't been tried for nearly two centuries.
Yet another piece of our shambles of a constitution that is not fit for purpose. Putting aside the circumstances of this case, the idea that an MP cannot resign whenever they want is just ridiculous. We have accepted this for a very long time now and I would be disappointed if it were changed just because Farage is a prat.
The last Sinn Fein MP to resign agreed and just sent in a letter saying (in more words) "I resign". Parliamentary authorities interpreted this as a request to be appointed to an office of the Crown. Sinn Fein said that was nonsense and they refused to accept that position, but that's what happened.
Words I thought I would never write: Sinn Fein were right.
It wasn't the last SF MP to resign. It was three back. Wikipedia has this:
As an Irish republican, Adams considered a British Crown appointment politically unacceptable, and therefore submitted a letter resigning his seat to the Speaker of the House of Commons on 20 January 2011;[6] he maintained that by doing so he had simply resigned.[7]
Notwithstanding that he had not requested it, Adams was appointed as Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead and officially ceased to be an MP on 26 January 2011; a Treasury spokesperson said that this appointment had been made "consistent with long-standing precedent".[6] Although David Cameron said during Prime Minister's Questions that Adams had "accepted an office for profit under the Crown", Adams denied this and received an apology from the Prime Minister's Office for not informing him of the procedure and for stating that he had applied for the position.[8]
There was similar comment when the last but one SF MP resigned.
So there is currently some confusion about the status of Nigel Farage’s resignation. Some people are saying it’s done. Others that it’s now technically sitting with Rachel Reeves. One source told me Reeves is being urged to approve in case he tries to withdraw it.
So, the thinking earlier was that it would be funny is the Chacellor slow-walked Farage’s appointment to (check notes) the job of the Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, but now the PB consensus seems to be to appoint him ASAP today before Honourable Member for Clacton can change his mind!
On a purely procedural note, one "resigns" as a member of the Commons by appointment to Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead because you cannot be working directly for the crown, and be a Member of Parliament.
The office of Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead does not normally fall vacant - usually it is filled by the next person but one to resign (the intermediate person being appointed to the Chiltern Hundreds).
If Farage takes the office of Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, then wins the resulting by-election whilst holding this office, what happens? Surely he can't be a MP whilst also Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead?
So there is currently some confusion about the status of Nigel Farage’s resignation. Some people are saying it’s done. Others that it’s now technically sitting with Rachel Reeves. One source told me Reeves is being urged to approve in case he tries to withdraw it.
I think it's funnier if he withdraws it. Would make him look like a U-turning drama queen.
So, the thinking earlier was that it would be funny is the Chacellor slow-walked Farage’s appointment to (check notes) the job of the Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, but now the PB consensus seems to be to appoint him ASAP today before Honourable Member for Clacton can change his mind!
On a purely procedural note, one "resigns" as a member of the Commons by appointment to Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead because you cannot be working directly for the crown, and be a Member of Parliament.
The office of Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead does not normally fall vacant - usually it is filled by the next person but one to resign (the intermediate person being appointed to the Chiltern Hundreds).
If Farage takes the office of Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, then wins the resulting by-election whilst holding this office, what happens? Surely he can't be a MP whilst also Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead?
That’s a good question.
The most recent analogue is probable David Davis, so what happened to him when he was re-elected?
Found myself opining today on whether the anti-Farage bloc would turnout to vote for Binface at the by-election and started to wonder if this was smart electoral analysis or unserious madness...
I'm not sure I want to stake my reputation on being the person who says Binface can win, but is Farage's vote going to go up given the circumstances? What happens to the rest of that vote? At the very least we should expect turnout to plummet.
What's striking on X is not just the centrists and leftwingers supportimg Binface, but the conservatives and natiionalists, as well.
Genuinely extraordinary.
It's The Bants option Same energy that brought you Boaty McBoatface
Plus a heat wave, and the general British desire to give a shoeing to anyone who has annoyed them once too often. Maybe even a little bit of "how bad could Count Binface be? Have you seen the cabinet?"
So, the thinking earlier was that it would be funny is the Chacellor slow-walked Farage’s appointment to (check notes) the job of the Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, but now the PB consensus seems to be to appoint him ASAP today before Honourable Member for Clacton can change his mind!
The whole situation is moderately amusing, but honestly I think it would be wrong to stop him resigning, given that manoeuvre hasn't been tried for nearly two centuries.
Yet another piece of our shambles of a constitution that is not fit for purpose. Putting aside the circumstances of this case, the idea that an MP cannot resign whenever they want is just ridiculous. We have accepted this for a very long time now and I would be disappointed if it were changed just because Farage is a prat.
Before the First World War, MPs weren’t paid and what with the travel to London, being away from family estates and businesses, and the rest, the job had long been seen as an obligation that once taken up, you shouldn’t easily be allowed to withdraw from.
Of course what might have originally made some sense has since become a tradition and, like so much of its procedure, gets retained rather than reformed as circumstances change. You would hope and expect that someone with Burnham’s perspective and agenda would be up for sweeping away all the nonsense around how parliament works - such as wasting tons of time having people troop through lobbies to vote, when many local councils now operate with push-button electronic voting - but whether he will be defeated by the usual defenders of absurdism in the chamber remains to be seen.
So there is currently some confusion about the status of Nigel Farage’s resignation. Some people are saying it’s done. Others that it’s now technically sitting with Rachel Reeves. One source told me Reeves is being urged to approve in case he tries to withdraw it.
I think it's funnier if he withdraws it. Would make him look like a U-turning drama queen.
Yebbut it's even funnier if he publicly announces he's withdrawing it and Rachel says Nah...
So, the thinking earlier was that it would be funny is the Chacellor slow-walked Farage’s appointment to (check notes) the job of the Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, but now the PB consensus seems to be to appoint him ASAP today before Honourable Member for Clacton can change his mind!
The whole situation is moderately amusing, but honestly I think it would be wrong to stop him resigning, given that manoeuvre hasn't been tried for nearly two centuries.
Yet another piece of our shambles of a constitution that is not fit for purpose. Putting aside the circumstances of this case, the idea that an MP cannot resign whenever they want is just ridiculous. We have accepted this for a very long time now and I would be disappointed if it were changed just because Farage is a prat.
That's my point, but better expressed. I think it would both be wrong, and play into Farage's hand, to try such shenanigans.
It's always seemed odd that the Chancellor should have nominal veto over resignations, but no one bothered to fix it, as it's never been a real issue.
Even if you think Farage deserves it, it would be wrong to abuse an archaism in that way.
Found myself opining today on whether the anti-Farage bloc would turnout to vote for Binface at the by-election and started to wonder if this was smart electoral analysis or unserious madness...
I'm not sure I want to stake my reputation on being the person who says Binface can win, but is Farage's vote going to go up given the circumstances? What happens to the rest of that vote? At the very least we should expect turnout to plummet.
I think turnout will be low enough that the joke candidate wins.
How do Reform go after BinFace? That's the fundamental political question of our time. A full-on personal attack may look mean, but if they ignore him completely will that not provide space for his ideas and pronouncements to blossom and thrive? Perhaps Nigel could state that he actually sees BinFace as something of a political soulmate, and he is fighting him more in sorry than in anger and with a heavy heart.
They could point out that his proposed price cap on '99' ice cornets is uncosted.
How do Reform go after BinFace? That's the fundamental political question of our time. A full-on personal attack may look mean, but if they ignore him completely will that not provide space for his ideas and pronouncements to blossom and thrive? Perhaps Nigel could state that he actually sees BinFace as something of a political soulmate, and he is fighting him more in sorry than in anger and with a heavy heart.
They could point out that his proposed price cap on '99' ice cornets is uncosted.
Indeed, government intervention in free markets always ends in failure.
Keep talking about Binface instead of the serious problems facing the country, problems that have led to Reform leading in about 350 opinion polls in a row.
Keep talking about Binface instead of the serious problems facing the country, problems that have led to Reform leading in about 350 opinion polls in a row.
He has a puncher's chance of resolving one of the problems facing the country.
He really needs to embrace it. Have some fun with it. Drop the self-pity and hissy fits (great line from Keni tbf) .
Farage has over time gone from the affable guy in the pub with half a point, to an angry guy with serious questions outstanding as to his probity.
He’s called the by-election off his own bat.
If you can’t see the funny in every other serious political party deciding not to indulge him, leaving him to run alone against a comedian with a waste recepticle over his head…
So, the thinking earlier was that it would be funny is the Chacellor slow-walked Farage’s appointment to (check notes) the job of the Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, but now the PB consensus seems to be to appoint him ASAP today before Honourable Member for Clacton can change his mind!
The whole situation is moderately amusing, but honestly I think it would be wrong to stop him resigning, given that manoeuvre hasn't been tried for nearly two centuries.
Yet another piece of our shambles of a constitution that is not fit for purpose. Putting aside the circumstances of this case, the idea that an MP cannot resign whenever they want is just ridiculous. We have accepted this for a very long time now and I would be disappointed if it were changed just because Farage is a prat.
That's my point, but better expressed. I think it would both be wrong, and play into Farage's hand, to try such shenanigans.
It's always seemed odd that the Chancellor should have nominal veto over resignations, but no one bothered to fix it, as it's never been a real issue.
Even if you think Farage deserves it, it would be wrong to abuse an archaism in that way.
I don't think there's any chance of such an obvious bad move.
Lawrence Fox has also confirmed he will stand in Clacton. Fox is a friend of Tommy Robinson and debated on the side as Tommy R at the Oxford Union only a few weeks ago so in the absence of Restore and if you ignore Binface it will be a straight fight between Farage and the even more hardline anti woke Islam sceptic Reclaim
How do Reform go after BinFace? That's the fundamental political question of our time. A full-on personal attack may look mean, but if they ignore him completely will that not provide space for his ideas and pronouncements to blossom and thrive? Perhaps Nigel could state that he actually sees BinFace as something of a political soulmate, and he is fighting him more in sorry than in anger and with a heavy heart.
They could point out that his proposed price cap on '99' ice cornets is uncosted.
Indeed, government intervention in free markets always ends in failure.
I think there are only four manufacturers of soft serve ice cream in the UK. But I suspect they exert monopsony power over farmers rather than monopoly over consumers. The Ice Cream Van alliance are a fearsome bunch.
Keep talking about Binface instead of the serious problems facing the country, problems that have led to Reform leading in about 350 opinion polls in a row.
“…but only the serious problems I and Reform are interested in, like woke and the outrage of a former refugee becoming a Lord Mayor. Not other ones like climate change, because I like a nice bit of hot weather”.
Found myself opining today on whether the anti-Farage bloc would turnout to vote for Binface at the by-election and started to wonder if this was smart electoral analysis or unserious madness...
I'm not sure I want to stake my reputation on being the person who says Binface can win, but is Farage's vote going to go up given the circumstances? What happens to the rest of that vote? At the very least we should expect turnout to plummet.
Don't forget h'Angus the Monkey who was elected (and re-elected) mayor of Hartlepool. Wonder if the Count is retaining him as an electoral strategist?
So, the thinking earlier was that it would be funny is the Chacellor slow-walked Farage’s appointment to (check notes) the job of the Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, but now the PB consensus seems to be to appoint him ASAP today before Honourable Member for Clacton can change his mind!
On a purely procedural note, one "resigns" as a member of the Commons by appointment to Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead because you cannot be working directly for the crown, and be a Member of Parliament.
The office of Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead does not normally fall vacant - usually it is filled by the next person but one to resign (the intermediate person being appointed to the Chiltern Hundreds).
If Farage takes the office of Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, then wins the resulting by-election whilst holding this office, what happens? Surely he can't be a MP whilst also Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead?
That’s a good question.
The most recent analogue is probable David Davis, so what happened to him when he was re-elected?
Did the ‘office of profit’ become vacant?
You can hold an office of profit while an MP, but you have to resubmit yourself to your electors on appointment to ensure they approve of it. The idea was, you would have a divided loyalty to your constituents and the crown and in the eighteenth century when this was not a trivial conflict of interest they deserved to have their say on that.
Hence why newly appointed cabinet ministers had to submit to re-election on appointment until either 1911 or 1918 (not sure of which, without checking). This was not a formality either - in 1908, Winston Churchill had to face a by-election after being made President of the Board of Trade, and lost to his Unionist rival.
Found myself opining today on whether the anti-Farage bloc would turnout to vote for Binface at the by-election and started to wonder if this was smart electoral analysis or unserious madness...
I'm not sure I want to stake my reputation on being the person who says Binface can win, but is Farage's vote going to go up given the circumstances? What happens to the rest of that vote? At the very least we should expect turnout to plummet.
Don't forget h'Angus the Monkey who was elected (and re-elected) mayor of Hartlepool. Wonder if the Count is retaining him as an electoral strategist?
That would be more useful after Farage has been suspended.
It has one easy answer: Reform are neither going to govern, lead a government or be junior partner in one. Only months ago the polling showed Reform winning a trillion seats. That, for centrist democrats is the important bit.
But we all know that such projections were based on pure, momentary Kartoffel mit Blutwurst until we were in the presence of an actual trend reasonably close to an election - suitable to be written on tomorrow's toilet paper.
So who listened to them (other than for counterbidding the sheeple reasons)?
How do Reform go after BinFace? That's the fundamental political question of our time. A full-on personal attack may look mean, but if they ignore him completely will that not provide space for his ideas and pronouncements to blossom and thrive? Perhaps Nigel could state that he actually sees BinFace as something of a political soulmate, and he is fighting him more in sorry than in anger and with a heavy heart.
They could point out that his proposed price cap on '99' ice cornets is uncosted.
Indeed, government intervention in free markets always ends in failure.
I think there are only four manufacturers of soft serve ice cream in the UK. But I suspect they exert monopsony power over farmers rather than monopoly over consumers. The Ice Cream Van alliance are a fearsome bunch.
I have actually heard about “Ice Cream Van Wars” over the decades.
Involving unions, mafia, councils, politicians etc, with a lot of money changing hands.
It’s extremely profitable to be the only guy on the seafront selling ice cream on a sunny day!
He really needs to embrace it. Have some fun with it. Drop the self-pity and hissy fits (great line from Keni tbf) .
Farage has over time gone from the affable guy in the pub with half a point, to an angry guy with serious questions outstanding as to his probity.
He’s called the by-election off his own bat.
If you can’t see the funny in every other serious political party deciding not to indulge him, leaving him to run alone against a comedian with a waste recepticle over his head…
Keep talking about Binface instead of the serious problems facing the country, problems that have led to Reform leading in about 350 opinion polls in a row.
Andy may I respectfully suggest you follow Sandpit and enjoy the obvious absurdity. We'll be talking about something else tomorrow (or indeed today - there have been posts about e.g. Iran flaring up again).
Found myself opining today on whether the anti-Farage bloc would turnout to vote for Binface at the by-election and started to wonder if this was smart electoral analysis or unserious madness...
I'm not sure I want to stake my reputation on being the person who says Binface can win, but is Farage's vote going to go up given the circumstances? What happens to the rest of that vote? At the very least we should expect turnout to plummet.
Don't forget h'Angus the Monkey who was elected (and re-elected) mayor of Hartlepool. Wonder if the Count is retaining him as an electoral strategist?
That would be more useful after Farage has been suspended.
H'Angus apparently moved to Australia and became a kangaroo.
So, the thinking earlier was that it would be funny is the Chacellor slow-walked Farage’s appointment to (check notes) the job of the Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, but now the PB consensus seems to be to appoint him ASAP today before Honourable Member for Clacton can change his mind!
On a purely procedural note, one "resigns" as a member of the Commons by appointment to Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead because you cannot be working directly for the crown, and be a Member of Parliament.
The office of Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead does not normally fall vacant - usually it is filled by the next person but one to resign (the intermediate person being appointed to the Chiltern Hundreds).
If Farage takes the office of Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, then wins the resulting by-election whilst holding this office, what happens? Surely he can't be a MP whilst also Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead?
That’s a good question.
The most recent analogue is probable David Davis, so what happened to him when he was re-elected?
Did the ‘office of profit’ become vacant?
Presumably those are appointments and offices you can simply resign from.
How do Reform go after BinFace? That's the fundamental political question of our time. A full-on personal attack may look mean, but if they ignore him completely will that not provide space for his ideas and pronouncements to blossom and thrive? Perhaps Nigel could state that he actually sees BinFace as something of a political soulmate, and he is fighting him more in sorry than in anger and with a heavy heart.
They could point out that his proposed price cap on '99' ice cornets is uncosted.
Indeed, government intervention in free markets always ends in failure.
I think there are only four manufacturers of soft serve ice cream in the UK. But I suspect they exert monopsony power over farmers rather than monopoly over consumers. The Ice Cream Van alliance are a fearsome bunch.
I have actually heard about “Ice Cream Van Wars” over the decades.
Involving unions, mafia, councils, politicians etc, with a lot of money changing hands.
It’s extremely profitable to be the only guy on the seafront selling ice cream on a sunny day!
Particularly in Glasgow. Love their ice cream over there.
How do Reform go after BinFace? That's the fundamental political question of our time. A full-on personal attack may look mean, but if they ignore him completely will that not provide space for his ideas and pronouncements to blossom and thrive? Perhaps Nigel could state that he actually sees BinFace as something of a political soulmate, and he is fighting him more in sorry than in anger and with a heavy heart.
They could point out that his proposed price cap on '99' ice cornets is uncosted.
Indeed, government intervention in free markets always ends in failure.
I think there are only four manufacturers of soft serve ice cream in the UK. But I suspect they exert monopsony power over farmers rather than monopoly over consumers. The Ice Cream Van alliance are a fearsome bunch.
I have actually heard about “Ice Cream Van Wars” over the decades.
Involving unions, mafia, councils, politicians etc, with a lot of money changing hands.
It’s extremely profitable to be the only guy on the seafront selling ice cream on a sunny day!
Bill Forsyth's 1984 film Comfort and Joy was about the ice cream van wars in Glasgow.
So, the thinking earlier was that it would be funny is the Chacellor slow-walked Farage’s appointment to (check notes) the job of the Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, but now the PB consensus seems to be to appoint him ASAP today before Honourable Member for Clacton can change his mind!
On a purely procedural note, one "resigns" as a member of the Commons by appointment to Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead because you cannot be working directly for the crown, and be a Member of Parliament.
The office of Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead does not normally fall vacant - usually it is filled by the next person but one to resign (the intermediate person being appointed to the Chiltern Hundreds).
If Farage takes the office of Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, then wins the resulting by-election whilst holding this office, what happens? Surely he can't be a MP whilst also Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead?
That’s a good question.
The most recent analogue is probable David Davis, so what happened to him when he was re-elected?
Did the ‘office of profit’ become vacant?
They resign the following day don't they ? Having said that I think if someone seeks the Stewardship they ought to be barred from re-election to the same parliament. Also Stewardship of the chiltern Hundreds etc ought to bar someone from taking another office of profit under the Crown. Josh Simmonds position is much more tawdry than Farage's.
Has the Mancunian Phenomenon submitted his election expenses return yet ? There must be some fun in that.
How do Reform go after BinFace? That's the fundamental political question of our time. A full-on personal attack may look mean, but if they ignore him completely will that not provide space for his ideas and pronouncements to blossom and thrive? Perhaps Nigel could state that he actually sees BinFace as something of a political soulmate, and he is fighting him more in sorry than in anger and with a heavy heart.
They could point out that his proposed price cap on '99' ice cornets is uncosted.
Indeed, government intervention in free markets always ends in failure.
I think there are only four manufacturers of soft serve ice cream in the UK. But I suspect they exert monopsony power over farmers rather than monopoly over consumers. The Ice Cream Van alliance are a fearsome bunch.
I have actually heard about “Ice Cream Van Wars” over the decades.
Involving unions, mafia, councils, politicians etc, with a lot of money changing hands.
It’s extremely profitable to be the only guy on the seafront selling ice cream on a sunny day!
In the Glasgow Ice Cream wars they were mainly selling drugs. Which is even more profitable, if not a little dangerous.
How do Reform go after BinFace? That's the fundamental political question of our time. A full-on personal attack may look mean, but if they ignore him completely will that not provide space for his ideas and pronouncements to blossom and thrive? Perhaps Nigel could state that he actually sees BinFace as something of a political soulmate, and he is fighting him more in sorry than in anger and with a heavy heart.
They could point out that his proposed price cap on '99' ice cornets is uncosted.
Indeed, government intervention in free markets always ends in failure.
I think there are only four manufacturers of soft serve ice cream in the UK. But I suspect they exert monopsony power over farmers rather than monopoly over consumers. The Ice Cream Van alliance are a fearsome bunch.
I have actually heard about “Ice Cream Van Wars” over the decades.
Involving unions, mafia, councils, politicians etc, with a lot of money changing hands.
It’s extremely profitable to be the only guy on the seafront selling ice cream on a sunny day!
They were selling drugs as well, the ice cream was a front
Credit to the LibDems, who appear to have been the initiators behind the serious-parties’ by-election boycott and the first to rumble Farage’s tactic of wanting to fight and win a serious contest before he’s found guilty, gambling that his voters won’t then have the appetite for a recall election and that even if enough did, his constituency would return him and not appreciate being asked the same question yet again.
So, the thinking earlier was that it would be funny is the Chacellor slow-walked Farage’s appointment to (check notes) the job of the Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, but now the PB consensus seems to be to appoint him ASAP today before Honourable Member for Clacton can change his mind!
On a purely procedural note, one "resigns" as a member of the Commons by appointment to Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead because you cannot be working directly for the crown, and be a Member of Parliament.
The office of Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead does not normally fall vacant - usually it is filled by the next person but one to resign (the intermediate person being appointed to the Chiltern Hundreds).
If Farage takes the office of Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, then wins the resulting by-election whilst holding this office, what happens? Surely he can't be a MP whilst also Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead?
That’s a good question.
The most recent analogue is probable David Davis, so what happened to him when he was re-elected?
Did the ‘office of profit’ become vacant?
They resign the following day don't they ? Having said that I think if someone seeks the Stewardship they ought to be barred from re-election to the same parliament. Also Stewardship of the chiltern Hundreds etc ought to bar someone from taking another office of profit under the Crown. Josh Simmonds position is much more tawdry than Farage's.
Has the Mancunian Phenomenon submitted his election expenses return yet ? There must be some fun in that.
Why? Because the canvases will have been volunteers paying their own expenses there is zero chance of any problems with Andy’s spending.
I suspect Reform/ Restore would be more likely to have problems if you went searching social media spending
How do Reform go after BinFace? That's the fundamental political question of our time. A full-on personal attack may look mean, but if they ignore him completely will that not provide space for his ideas and pronouncements to blossom and thrive? Perhaps Nigel could state that he actually sees BinFace as something of a political soulmate, and he is fighting him more in sorry than in anger and with a heavy heart.
They could point out that his proposed price cap on '99' ice cornets is uncosted.
Indeed, government intervention in free markets always ends in failure.
I think there are only four manufacturers of soft serve ice cream in the UK. But I suspect they exert monopsony power over farmers rather than monopoly over consumers. The Ice Cream Van alliance are a fearsome bunch.
I have actually heard about “Ice Cream Van Wars” over the decades.
Involving unions, mafia, councils, politicians etc, with a lot of money changing hands.
It’s extremely profitable to be the only guy on the seafront selling ice cream on a sunny day!
In the Glasgow Ice Cream wars they were mainly selling drugs. Which is even more profitable, if not a little dangerous.
Ah yes, it was a bit different in Glasgow in the ‘80s!
How do Reform go after BinFace? That's the fundamental political question of our time. A full-on personal attack may look mean, but if they ignore him completely will that not provide space for his ideas and pronouncements to blossom and thrive? Perhaps Nigel could state that he actually sees BinFace as something of a political soulmate, and he is fighting him more in sorry than in anger and with a heavy heart.
They could point out that his proposed price cap on '99' ice cornets is uncosted.
Indeed, government intervention in free markets always ends in failure.
I think there are only four manufacturers of soft serve ice cream in the UK. But I suspect they exert monopsony power over farmers rather than monopoly over consumers. The Ice Cream Van alliance are a fearsome bunch.
I have actually heard about “Ice Cream Van Wars” over the decades.
Involving unions, mafia, councils, politicians etc, with a lot of money changing hands.
It’s extremely profitable to be the only guy on the seafront selling ice cream on a sunny day!
In the Glasgow Ice Cream wars they were mainly selling drugs. Which is even more profitable, if not a little dangerous.
I watched a documentary on that when I was too young.
Binface would stand more of a chance if he was actually funny, instead it's all a bit of forced humour. A rematch with Al Murray would be better.
Farage will win at a canter, but the optics won't be great for him. I think it's another mis-step, taken in haste, which is a worrying trait for a potential PM.
The idea of Count Binface defeating Nigel Farage is centrist Dad catnip.
As for the optics, the centre and centre-left parties have gambled somewhat, just as Farage has gambled (though his gamble is bigger). If Lozza Fox and Farage are the only candidates of note, and if they decide to take the byelection seriously and behave well (both big ifs), they could move the national debate to the right - 'Yes we both agree that Britain is in the grip of a blob-fuelled decline, but my policies for dealing with it are better.' And given that of the two, Farage is the more moderate (and we love the mushy middle here in the UK) Farage could end up looking sensible and electable.
Holy fuck. We're on that black tar hopium here boys.
Big Nige vs Fox is going to be like the last half hour of The Lighthouse.
I do find some of our parliamentary traditions to be rather outdated. Time to reform them. If you want to resign, you just resign. If you think someone is lying in the house, say so. And stop all this 'Right honorable Gentleman' guff - most of them are neither honorable or gentleman/woman.
I do find some of our parliamentary traditions to be rather outdated. Time to reform them. If you want to resign, you just resign. If you think someone is lying in the house, say so. And stop all this 'Right honorable Gentleman' guff - most of them are neither honorable or gentleman/woman.
The Right Houourable Gentleman is a Privy Councillor, an advisor to the King.
Yes there’s loads of anachronism in what’s an ancient Parliament, but calling each other honourable and not liars is one of the better ones.
Credit to the LibDems, who appear to have been the initiators behind the serious-parties’ by-election boycott and the first to rumble Farage’s tactic of wanting to fight and win a serious contest before he’s found guilty, gambling that his voters won’t then have the appetite for a recall election and that even if enough did, his constituency would return him and not appreciate being asked the same question yet again.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves says: “I will accept Nigel Farage’s request to be appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead. “It is a farce and a desperate distraction, and the people of Clacton deserve better. “But if he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won't stop him.”
Credit to the LibDems, who appear to have been the initiators behind the serious-parties’ by-election boycott and the first to rumble Farage’s tactic of wanting to fight and win a serious contest before he’s found guilty, gambling that his voters won’t then have the appetite for a recall election and that even if enough did, his constituency would return him and not appreciate being asked the same question yet again.
Have you heard of punctuation marks?...
He used three commas, a full stop and three apostrophes. What d'you want? Some semi-colons? An interrobang?
Binface would stand more of a chance if he was actually funny, instead it's all a bit of forced humour. A rematch with Al Murray would be better.
Farage will win at a canter, but the optics won't be great for him. I think it's another mis-step, taken in haste, which is a worrying trait for a potential PM.
The idea of Count Binface defeating Nigel Farage is centrist Dad catnip.
As for the optics, the centre and centre-left parties have gambled somewhat, just as Farage has gambled (though his gamble is bigger). If Lozza Fox and Farage are the only candidates of note, and if they decide to take the byelection seriously and behave well (both big ifs), they could move the national debate to the right - 'Yes we both agree that Britain is in the grip of a blob-fuelled decline, but my policies for dealing with it are better.' And given that of the two, Farage is the more moderate (and we love the mushy middle here in the UK) Farage could end up looking sensible and electable.
LOL - Fox a candidate of note . Assuming none of the main parties change their minds and stand, do you fancy a bet on who gets the most votes, Fox or Binface?
Credit to the LibDems, who appear to have been the initiators behind the serious-parties’ by-election boycott and the first to rumble Farage’s tactic of wanting to fight and win a serious contest before he’s found guilty, gambling that his voters won’t then have the appetite for a recall election and that even if enough did, his constituency would return him and not appreciate being asked the same question yet again.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 16m Official. Count Binface v The Establishment Candidate.
Given how much centrist dads love Binface, he may be the establishment.
Binface was afaicr a 'led by donkeys' style centrist dad campaign. Rather sad I think. The appropriation and commodification of British eccentricity. I'd be upset if I were the Monster Raving Loony Party.
He puts in more effort than them, simple as that. It'll all be mostly safe light satire from the centre, but that's in the spirit of a joke candidate to not be very serious. I like his mixing local pledges alongside sillier ideas.
He is apparently 'The banksy of satire'*
*has billious attack.
It's just quite manipulative. The MRLP seem genuinely joyous eccentrics. Their being superseded by a soft left marketing campaign in a silver mask is a depressing sign of the times.
Nah, the OMRLP have been rubbish for years, but I agree Binface isn't very funny either.
But being a bit half arsed is part of the joke itself.
Binface v Farage on Question Time, just the two of them, would be absolutely hilarious though!
NF takes himself way too seriously to deal with standing against a comedy character.
Will Count BinFace be like the Mandalorian and not remove their helmet in public?
Did you hear about the cross-over between the Star Wars and Back to the Future franchises?
Credit to the LibDems, who appear to have been the initiators behind the serious-parties’ by-election boycott and the first to rumble Farage’s tactic of wanting to fight and win a serious contest before he’s found guilty, gambling that his voters won’t then have the appetite for a recall election and that even if enough did, his constituency would return him and not appreciate being asked the same question yet again.
Have you heard of punctuation marks?...
He used three commas, a full stop and three apostrophes. What d'you want? Some semi-colons? An interrobang?
An interrobang? Well I learn something every day. Thank you.
Keep talking about Binface instead of the serious problems facing the country, problems that have led to Reform leading in about 350 opinion polls in a row.
Don't worry Andy. It'll be all over soon and we can go back to discussing serious issues like the World Cup.
How do Reform go after BinFace? That's the fundamental political question of our time. A full-on personal attack may look mean, but if they ignore him completely will that not provide space for his ideas and pronouncements to blossom and thrive? Perhaps Nigel could state that he actually sees BinFace as something of a political soulmate, and he is fighting him more in sorry than in anger and with a heavy heart.
They could point out that his proposed price cap on '99' ice cornets is uncosted.
Indeed, government intervention in free markets always ends in failure.
I think there are only four manufacturers of soft serve ice cream in the UK. But I suspect they exert monopsony power over farmers rather than monopoly over consumers. The Ice Cream Van alliance are a fearsome bunch.
I have actually heard about “Ice Cream Van Wars” over the decades.
Involving unions, mafia, councils, politicians etc, with a lot of money changing hands.
It’s extremely profitable to be the only guy on the seafront selling ice cream on a sunny day!
In the Glasgow Ice Cream wars they were mainly selling drugs. Which is even more profitable, if not a little dangerous.
Isn't the Bill Forsyth film, Comfort and Joy about the Glasgow Ice Cream Wars?
Farage must have expected that the other parties might decide not to contest the by-election. It can't be a surprise to him, unless he's really stupid. So I wonder what his war-gaming was for that situation.
Credit to the LibDems, who appear to have been the initiators behind the serious-parties’ by-election boycott and the first to rumble Farage’s tactic of wanting to fight and win a serious contest before he’s found guilty, gambling that his voters won’t then have the appetite for a recall election and that even if enough did, his constituency would return him and not appreciate being asked the same question yet again.
Have you heard of punctuation marks?...
He used three commas, a full stop and three apostrophes. What d'you want? Some semi-colons? An interrobang?
Binface would stand more of a chance if he was actually funny, instead it's all a bit of forced humour. A rematch with Al Murray would be better.
Farage will win at a canter, but the optics won't be great for him. I think it's another mis-step, taken in haste, which is a worrying trait for a potential PM.
The idea of Count Binface defeating Nigel Farage is centrist Dad catnip.
As for the optics, the centre and centre-left parties have gambled somewhat, just as Farage has gambled (though his gamble is bigger). If Lozza Fox and Farage are the only candidates of note, and if they decide to take the byelection seriously and behave well (both big ifs), they could move the national debate to the right - 'Yes we both agree that Britain is in the grip of a blob-fuelled decline, but my policies for dealing with it are better.' And given that of the two, Farage is the more moderate (and we love the mushy middle here in the UK) Farage could end up looking sensible and electable.
LOL - Fox a candidate of note . Assuming none of the main parties change their minds and stand, do you fancy a bet on who gets the most votes, Fox or Binface?
Fox and Farage divide the racist vote and Binface comes in through the middle?
Chancellor Rachel Reeves says: “I will accept Nigel Farage’s request to be appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead. “It is a farce and a desperate distraction, and the people of Clacton deserve better. “But if he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won't stop him.”
So, the thinking earlier was that it would be funny is the Chacellor slow-walked Farage’s appointment to (check notes) the job of the Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, but now the PB consensus seems to be to appoint him ASAP today before Honourable Member for Clacton can change his mind!
The whole situation is moderately amusing, but honestly I think it would be wrong to stop him resigning, given that manoeuvre hasn't been tried for nearly two centuries.
Yet another piece of our shambles of a constitution that is not fit for purpose. Putting aside the circumstances of this case, the idea that an MP cannot resign whenever they want is just ridiculous. We have accepted this for a very long time now and I would be disappointed if it were changed just because Farage is a prat.
Other views on our constitution are available. I like our Burkean organically developed one, though maybe it's more compelling to English eyes than from other parts of the UK. Arguably (for England) there hasn't been a lasting one off, root and branch, considered from scratch, reorganisation of the constitution since 1066. This creates - of course - a multitude of anomalies; where would one begin - and a multitude of Chesterton fences, the ways and institutions whose functions are only understood once they are removed.
The extent to which England (I can't speak for others) very clearly prioritises things which are not maximal in terms of efficiency or making us materially richer is something some of us like living with. It's well symbolised by the photo in this weeks Economist, in an article comparing Cambridge England with Cambridge, Mass. The England photo is of King's chapel with a thoughtful cow in front of it.
Farage must have expected that the other parties might decide not to contest the by-election. It can't be a surprise to him, unless he's really stupid. So I wonder what his war-gaming was for that situation.
Farage was in a whole and someone suggested that a byelection now would solve the issue - I don’t think anyone in Reform would have given two seconds to the idea that other parties wouldn’t join in.
I do find some of our parliamentary traditions to be rather outdated. Time to reform them. If you want to resign, you just resign. If you think someone is lying in the house, say so. And stop all this 'Right honorable Gentleman' guff - most of them are neither honorable or gentleman/woman.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves says: “I will accept Nigel Farage’s request to be appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead. “It is a farce and a desperate distraction, and the people of Clacton deserve better. “But if he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won't stop him.”
Credit to the LibDems, who appear to have been the initiators behind the serious-parties’ by-election boycott and the first to rumble Farage’s tactic of wanting to fight and win a serious contest before he’s found guilty, gambling that his voters won’t then have the appetite for a recall election and that even if enough did, his constituency would return him and not appreciate being asked the same question yet again.
Have you heard of punctuation marks?...
He used three commas, a full stop and three apostrophes. What d'you want? Some semi-colons? An interrobang?
Farage must have expected that the other parties might decide not to contest the by-election. It can't be a surprise to him, unless he's really stupid. So I wonder what his war-gaming was for that situation.
Listening to his 2 pm diatribe yesterday my feeling was that, amazing at it seems, he expected everyone to fall into line, stand and lose. By evening even the Greens had spotted the flaw in his cunning plan.
So, the thinking earlier was that it would be funny is the Chacellor slow-walked Farage’s appointment to (check notes) the job of the Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, but now the PB consensus seems to be to appoint him ASAP today before Honourable Member for Clacton can change his mind!
The whole situation is moderately amusing, but honestly I think it would be wrong to stop him resigning, given that manoeuvre hasn't been tried for nearly two centuries.
Yet another piece of our shambles of a constitution that is not fit for purpose. Putting aside the circumstances of this case, the idea that an MP cannot resign whenever they want is just ridiculous. We have accepted this for a very long time now and I would be disappointed if it were changed just because Farage is a prat.
Other views on our constitution are available. I like our Burkean organically developed one, though maybe it's more compelling to English eyes than from other parts of the UK...
There are decent arguments on both sides. I appreciate the Chancellor's decision, as it doesn't add to the arguments for immediate codification.
Hills have Binface at 7/2. By comparison, Switzerland are 4/1 to beat the Argies, Morocco 5/1 to beat France. Belgium 4/1 to beat Spain. Someone is having a laugh.
How do Reform go after BinFace? That's the fundamental political question of our time. A full-on personal attack may look mean, but if they ignore him completely will that not provide space for his ideas and pronouncements to blossom and thrive? Perhaps Nigel could state that he actually sees BinFace as something of a political soulmate, and he is fighting him more in sorry than in anger and with a heavy heart.
They could point out that his proposed price cap on '99' ice cornets is uncosted.
Indeed, government intervention in free markets always ends in failure.
I think there are only four manufacturers of soft serve ice cream in the UK. But I suspect they exert monopsony power over farmers rather than monopoly over consumers. The Ice Cream Van alliance are a fearsome bunch.
I have actually heard about “Ice Cream Van Wars” over the decades.
Involving unions, mafia, councils, politicians etc, with a lot of money changing hands.
It’s extremely profitable to be the only guy on the seafront selling ice cream on a sunny day!
Unions, mafia, councils, politicians etc? Pshaw, we do them with heroin, arson and guns up here.
Farage must have expected that the other parties might decide not to contest the by-election. It can't be a surprise to him, unless he's really stupid. So I wonder what his war-gaming was for that situation.
Listening to his 2 pm diatribe yesterday my feeling was that, amazing at it seems, he expected everyone to fall into line, stand and lose. By evening even the Greens had spotted the flaw in his cunning plan.
Hills have Binface at 7/2. By comparison, Switzerland are 4/1 to beat the Argies, Morocco 5/1 to beat France. Belgium 4/1 to beat Spain. Someone is having a laugh.
Farage must have expected that the other parties might decide not to contest the by-election. It can't be a surprise to him, unless he's really stupid. So I wonder what his war-gaming was for that situation.
The problem is, I don't think he did "war game" any of this at all.
I do find some of our parliamentary traditions to be rather outdated. Time to reform them. If you want to resign, you just resign. If you think someone is lying in the house, say so. And stop all this 'Right honorable Gentleman' guff - most of them are neither honorable or gentleman/woman.
Farage must have expected that the other parties might decide not to contest the by-election. It can't be a surprise to him, unless he's really stupid. So I wonder what his war-gaming was for that situation.
Farage was in a whole and someone suggested that a byelection now would solve the issue - I don’t think anyone in Reform would have given two seconds to the idea that other parties wouldn’t join in.
Comments
the downsides are not usually in the joke candidates calculations
As an Irish republican, Adams considered a British Crown appointment politically unacceptable, and therefore submitted a letter resigning his seat to the Speaker of the House of Commons on 20 January 2011;[6] he maintained that by doing so he had simply resigned.[7]
Notwithstanding that he had not requested it, Adams was appointed as Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead and officially ceased to be an MP on 26 January 2011; a Treasury spokesperson said that this appointment had been made "consistent with long-standing precedent".[6] Although David Cameron said during Prime Minister's Questions that Adams had "accepted an office for profit under the Crown", Adams denied this and received an apology from the Prime Minister's Office for not informing him of the procedure and for stating that he had applied for the position.[8]
There was similar comment when the last but one SF MP resigned.
The UK is unequivocal: the Russian state should NOT be represented in international sport while the barbaric full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues.
We stand in full solidarity with the people of #Ukraine.
The decision by the IOC is utterly appalling.
https://x.com/sdoughtymp/status/2074770086414430530
So there is currently some confusion about the status of Nigel Farage’s resignation. Some people are saying it’s done. Others that it’s now technically sitting with Rachel Reeves. One source told me Reeves is being urged to approve in case he tries to withdraw it.
The most recent analogue is probable David Davis, so what happened to him when he was re-elected?
Did the ‘office of profit’ become vacant?
Found myself opining today on whether the anti-Farage bloc would turnout to vote for Binface at the by-election and started to wonder if this was smart electoral analysis or unserious madness...
I'm not sure I want to stake my reputation on being the person who says Binface can win, but is Farage's vote going to go up given the circumstances? What happens to the rest of that vote? At the very least we should expect turnout to plummet.
Of course what might have originally made some sense has since become a tradition and, like so much of its procedure, gets retained rather than reformed as circumstances change. You would hope and expect that someone with Burnham’s perspective and agenda would be up for sweeping away all the nonsense around how parliament works - such as wasting tons of time having people troop through lobbies to vote, when many local councils now operate with push-button electronic voting - but whether he will be defeated by the usual defenders of absurdism in the chamber remains to be seen.
I think it would both be wrong, and play into Farage's hand, to try such shenanigans.
It's always seemed odd that the Chancellor should have nominal veto over resignations, but no one bothered to fix it, as it's never been a real issue.
Even if you think Farage deserves it, it would be wrong to abuse an archaism in that way.
And that may or may not be the count
Leading indicator of public opinion*, the Crewkerne Gazette, is mocking Farage as running scared of a bin, it’s over.
*I think I’m serious with this, subs please check
He’s called the by-election off his own bat.
If you can’t see the funny in every other serious political party deciding not to indulge him, leaving him to run alone against a comedian with a waste recepticle over his head…
VOTE BINFACE! 🗑️
Hence why newly appointed cabinet ministers had to submit to re-election on appointment until either 1911 or 1918 (not sure of which, without checking). This was not a formality either - in 1908, Winston Churchill had to face a by-election after being made President of the Board of Trade, and lost to his Unionist rival.
1: The Crewkerne Gazette
2: Dan Hodges
3: Whatever whiny brat on Twitter/Bluesky shares the intellectual priors of the PBer
The true answer is, of course, Matt.
So who listened to them (other than for counterbidding the sheeple reasons)?
Involving unions, mafia, councils, politicians etc, with a lot of money changing hands.
It’s extremely profitable to be the only guy on the seafront selling ice cream on a sunny day!
Has the Mancunian Phenomenon submitted his election expenses return yet ? There must be some fun in that.
"Leave means leave"
WC
Wimbo
Tour de France
Open golf coming
Le Pen
Iran
Farage
Burnham coming
All in a massive prolonged heatwave.
Our mettle is being tested bigtime.
Heat clearly getting to the Best for Britain lot.
https://www.binfaceshop.co.uk/
(Some of it needs updating.)
There's one that looks quite like that Russian oil-tank-lid-toss, except it has Tower Bridge in it/
https://www.binfaceshop.co.uk/shop/view_product/19374121/Count-Binface-Bindependence-Day
I suspect Reform/ Restore would be more likely to have problems if you went searching social media spending
Still find the vans sinister.
Big Nige vs Fox is going to be like the last half hour of The Lighthouse.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves says she will accept Nigel Farage’s request to “be appointed steward and bailiff of the Manor of Northstead”, the formal mechanism for him to resign.
Yes there’s loads of anachronism in what’s an ancient Parliament, but calling each other honourable and not liars is one of the better ones.
“It is a farce and a desperate distraction, and the people of Clacton deserve better.
“But if he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won't stop him.”
If the public can vote for Boaty McBoatface why not Count Binface !
The Man DeLorean.
The extent to which England (I can't speak for others) very clearly prioritises things which are not maximal in terms of efficiency or making us materially richer is something some of us like living with. It's well symbolised by the photo in this weeks Economist, in an article comparing Cambridge England with Cambridge, Mass. The England photo is of King's chapel with a thoughtful cow in front of it.
And a shrubbery?
I appreciate the Chancellor's decision, as it doesn't add to the arguments for immediate codification.
It will probably be her best single act in post.
From 4D chess master to Mr Tiddlywinks.
https://x.com/warmonitor3/status/2074842377747886451
https://x.com/rachelreevesmp/status/2074838270207209630
He's simply lost the plot...
Trump asked Zelenskyy if he'd go to Moscow and he answered that would be difficult right now because of all the Ukrainian drones.
https://x.com/terischultz/status/2074846128340631760
Politer than saying "I would, but I'd be dead within a couple of hours", I guess.