Count Binface, the seven-foot alien known for standing against prime ministers and running for London Mayor, is actually Jon Harvey – a beloved household name and establishment fixture – according to an explosive interview in the New Statesman.
In the piece, author and interviewer describes being “appalled” when the doorbell rang and instead of the novelty candidate, a man holding a large bag appeared. That man was Jon Harvey, whose CV the magazine calls “comparable to the Bayeux Tapestry”, with credits including writing additional material for eight episodes of Have I Got News For You and work as a script associate of Only Connect.
“New Statesman reveals Count Binface is actually Jon Harvey, sparking questions over the novelty candidate's true identity.”
Harvey strode in “with confidence and ease”, shook hands, asked the interviewer’s name, and told him with “a glint in his eye” that the count would be here any minute – before disappearing into the bathroom to get changed. Moments later, Binface emerged in his masked alter ego and reintroduced himself. The interview then began, with Binface “firing on all cylinders” about Boris Johnson, Matt Hancock, Liz Truss and a lettuce.
The interviewer decided to make him work harder, giving it his “best Paxman” and pointing out that Binface had never won a single election. The reaction was telling: “I could feel the quiet rage behind the mask,” the interviewer writes. “I was appalled. This was no way to respond to gentle ribbing.” The crew, however, remained in “full grips of Harvey fever”, with some even giggling.
The piece goes on to describe Harvey’s ubiquity – people wearing Jon Harvey pyjamas and eating Jon Harvey cereal – and the author’s resignation to silence, believing the “Harvey industrial complex runs too deep” and that “the man controls the media”.
The revelation comes as Nigel Farage, who recently stepped down as an MP only to immediately announce he would run again, pitched the consequent by-election as “the people versus the establishment”. The author initially rolled his eyes at that framing, but changed his mind when Binface announced his candidacy – and “none of the uniparty did”. The article concludes with the author acknowledging he might not believe in Farage’s policies or his relationship with “baby-fa…” (the text cuts off).
