How a man wearing a bin on his head stood for London mayor election and became an internet sensation

In the 2024 London mayoral election, "Count Binface," adorned with a gleaming silver bin and a striking superhero outfit, captured the public's imagination with his dramatic entrance at events, swiftly becoming a crowd favorite. Wearing a gleaming silver bin on his head, “Count Binface" was usually spotted in a superhero outfit, a black-and-grey cloak fanning his back as he stepped into public events, cheering people. Before the elections, he emerged as a satirical candidate and in no time, became an internet sensation. 

Describing himself as an "intergalactic space warrior and leader of the Recyclons from planet Sigma IX," Binface's official website recounts his arrival on Earth in 2017 and subsequent political endeavors. His latest campaign was for the London mayor election, where he successfully managed to secure 24,260 votes. On May 4, he announced his "moral victory" on X and wrote, “I just beat Britain First!” Britain First is a British far-right political party that campaigned against multiculturalism and what it called the "Islamification" of the country. 

While Labour's Sadiq Khan clinched the mayoral seat, Binface won the internet with his humorous manifesto, famously pledging to cap croissant prices at just £1.10 (approx 27 cents). He defeated many participating candidates including Britain First’s Nick Scanlon, who received 20,519 votes, and London Real Party’s Brian Rose. He celebrated his popularity among the masses by declaring, “Down with fascism, up with Ceefax.”

Unmasked, the charismatic Count Binface is British comedian Jonathan David Harvey. Before the 2024 London mayoral elections, Harvey stood against former Prime Minister Theresa May (as ‘Lord Buckethead’) in the 2017 general election and against Boris Johnson as Count Binface in the 2019 election, where he scored 69 votes. "In 2021, I received 92,986 votes (including 24,775 first choice votes) from the humans of London, who made me their 9th choice to be Mayor of the Earth capital, out of 20 candidates," wrote Binface on his page. 

Besides Binface's achievement in the elections, what captivated people was his thought-provoking and action-packed political campaign. He even composed a manifesto song titled “You To Me Are Everything” on his YouTube channel, which has garnered over 36,000 views in less than a month.

In his manifesto, the parody candidate pledged to rename London Bridge to Fleabag actress “Phoebe Waller," give Croydon an ironic facelift and ban loud snacks in theatres, among others.

Binface also proposed that private utility company Thames Water's bosses be forced to “take a dip” in the river, as concern over the firm’s sewage overflows and financial health grows. “I’m the only fresh thing on the menu! Nobody else comes close to the suite of policies I’m offering: price-capping croissants at £1.10 – blame Liz and Rishi for the extra 10p –  bringing back Ceefax (BBC's TV programme), replacing the Night Czar with a new Night Mayor, having headquarters on Elm Street, and much more,” he told The Independent.

Binface’s electoral pledge was much more than an exciting checklist. He talked about the importance of people’s right to vote. “I love democracy, because it’s so rare in the cosmos, and this important year I want to help celebrate the fact that, in the UK, everybody has the right to stand for election, no matter how idiotic the get-up,” he said.

He also said that the winning candidate, Mayor Sadiq Khan, did a “decent job.” This is the third term Mr. Khan has swept the top position as the suited mayoral candidate. He was first elected in May 2016. Binface continued, “Unlike the two previous incumbents, Ken Livingstone and Boris ‘The Bombshell’ Johnson, Sadiq Khan is not yet a laughing stock figure – so fair play on that front.”

Binface’s comments only demonstrate that he is not merely a satirical political star, but a statesman. Although he ran in the election just “for a laugh,” as he told BBC, his recent triumph has made him a popular public figure.