The stage was set in Glasgow at Oran Mor for Count Binface to make his comedy debut in Scotland. While the novelty candidate has graced the UK since 2018, his two-hour show was his first major appearance in Scotland. It was Earth-shatteringly funny and provocative.
Count Binface has become an instant fixture of the UK political landscape despite only being active in it for six years. Being in the “rare position of being a popular politician”, the Count has been on a comedy tour/multi-city Count Binface Party Conference where he is taking a break from standing on stage with politicians to standing on a stage of his own. In an exclusive interview with The Student, the space warrior said “it’s going galactically well!”
With the line “time to take out the trash” displayed on a screen over a picture of Westminster, the Count took to the stage with stratospheric applause from the audience after a highlight reel played on showing all his major election contests. In 2019, Count Binface stood in Boris Johnson’s constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruslip, winning 69 votes. He’s also stood in the 2021 and 2024 London Mayoral elections, the 2023 Uxbridge by-election as well as a candidate in Richmond and Northallerton, Rishi Sunak’s seat, in the 2024 general election.
We need to enjoy and defend democracy while we’ve still got it
The Count made reference to all these feats and more during the first hour of his “moral victory tour”. During the second half of the set, the Count crowd-sourced manifesto positions based on audience submissions. Throughout the entirety of it, the audience (myself included) could not contain their laughter and enthusiasm.
The Count’s routine was not just about laughing at the political situation in the UK but laughing with it. “Everybody has that precious ability not just to vote, but to stand” said the Count in a one-on-one interview with The Student (he was generous enough to still be in costume after 2.5 hours).
“We need to enjoy and defend democracy while we’ve still got it”, said the Count, highlighting problems of declining voter turnout and governing parties not campaigning in the interests of their citizens.
“My manifesto gives people a little bit of a chuckle along the way, but there’s truths behind it”. Some of the Count’s manifesto positions include bringing back Ceefax, tying MP wages to that of NHS nurses, and requiring MPs standing in a constituency to have lived there for four years.
Leaving his comedy set did not just leave me laughing, it left me inspired and feeling more empowered about engaging in democracy. Through satire and entertainment, the Count offers a convincing argument urging for greater civic engagement to benefit the country. “I’m not even from your planet and I get involved,” said the Count.
As someone who’s never taken part in a political party conference before, attending Count Binface’s comedy tour is a must-do. It’s a testament to the country (and the state of democracy worldwide) that Britain’s most forward-thinking political voice is quite literally rubbish.
The Count will be in Edinburgh on October 9th at Monkey Barrel.
Image via Sam Marks