Scottish voters disappointed by the current political offering will soon have another option to consider when Count Binface arrives in Edinburgh with a manifesto that finally confronts some of Britain’s great unanswered questions.
The intergalactic space warrior and novelty politician will bring Count Binface: Face of the Establishment to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for one performance at the Pleasance King Dome on Wednesday 26 August at 4.50pm.
After years of electoral campaigning, Binface arrives with policies including cheaper 99 Flakes, the nationalisation of Adele and the restoration of Ceefax.
Water company bosses would also be required to take a dip in Britain’s rivers, allowing senior management to experience the consequences of the product first hand.
Whether all four policies could survive contact with the Treasury remains unclear.
Binface has nevertheless accumulated considerably more electoral experience than might reasonably be expected of an intergalactic space warrior.
He first entered British politics during the 2017 General Election when, cunningly disguised as Lord Buckethead, he stood against then Prime Minister Theresa May.
He returned in 2019 to challenge Boris Johnson before turning his attention to London.
His campaign for Mayor of London in 2021 secured 92,896 votes and ninth place, proving that almost 100,000 Londoners were prepared to consider government by a man wearing a black bin on his head.
Binface returned to the mayoral contest in 2024 and collected another 24,260 votes, secured the endorsement of a national newspaper and finished ahead of Britain First.
The democratic revolution continued at the Clacton on Sea by election, where Binface received 9,455 votes.
Having tested Britain’s appetite for his policies at the ballot box, he is now returning to the slightly more predictable surroundings of a comedy stage.
Face of the Establishment promises an hour of political comedy, science fiction satire and Binface’s distinctive assessment of modern Britain.
The Edinburgh appearance will be his only performance at this year’s Fringe, giving voters, floating voters and those merely waiting patiently for Ceefax to return a single opportunity to hear the programme in full.
There will inevitably be questions about whether Britain is ready for the nationalisation of Adele or whether the price of a 99 Flake can realistically be brought under control.
But in an era of ambitious manifesto commitments, delayed infrastructure and occasionally creative political arithmetic, Count Binface may discover that the difficult part is no longer looking ridiculous.
It is distinguishing himself from the establishment.
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