Satirical character Count Binface challenges PM Sunak in parliament

Ipsos survey shows Sunak holds only four percentage-point lead over Binface in favorability

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is staring down the possibility of leading his Conservative Party to its worst election defeat in nearly two centuries, according to recent polls.

Adding to this potential embarrassment, on the night of July 4, he will be standing alongside a candidate in his own district who identifies as an intergalactic space lord and leader of the Recyclons from Planet Sigma.

Count Binface, a recurring satirical figure in British elections, is challenging the prime minister for the Parliament seat representing Richmond and Northallerton.

While most polls indicate Sunak will likely retain his seat, as all previous prime ministers in this position have done, his national approval rating is so low that a recent Ipsos survey showed Sunak holding just a four-percentage-point lead over Binface in favorability. Binface, in turn, polled more favorably than former prime minister Liz Truss.

Mr. Binface, who claims to be 5,072 years old, described his pledges as “the finest available” and asserted himself as “the sole candidate with a credible manifesto.”

“I cherish democracy because it’s a rarity in the cosmos, and this significant year, I wish to celebrate the fact that in the UK, everyone has the right to run for office, no matter how absurd their attire,” he remarked.

Asked for his thoughts on his Conservative opponent, Susan Hall, the caped politician responded, “I have no clue who you’re referring to. If I have, it went in one ear and out the other because that name has had zero impact on me.”

“I’m the only new option on the ballot! No one else comes close to the array of policies I propose: capping croissant prices at £1.10 – blame Liz and Rishi for the extra 10p – reviving Ceefax, replacing the Night Czar with a new Night Mayor headquartered on Elm Street, and much more.”

The Count added that incumbent mayor Sadiq Khan had performed “adequately.”

He continued, “Unlike the two previous mayors, Ken Livingstone and Boris ‘The Bombshell’ Johnson, Sadiq Khan has not become a figure of ridicule – credit where it’s due on that front.”