The by-election in Clacton has descended into a farce, with all major parties refusing to stand and the campaign dominated by Count Binface's plans to run.
A human fox, dressed as a fox, has now joined the fight to dump Nigel Farage as an MP at the by-election. Wildlife campaigner Rob Pownall, 27, will don his famous fox outfit once more and run a campaign against Farage's personal record on animal welfare and hunting.
Pownall, founder of Protect the Wild, has a history of standing in elections dressed as a giant gannet in the Scottish Parliament election and as a fox at the Makerfield by-election against Andy Burnham. He believes that the by-election is a chance to put animal welfare issues on the map.
Pownall is making the contest personal to Farage, highlighting his support for fox hunting and other blood sports. He fears that Farage would support the scrapping of regulations that protect the UK's most important wildlife sites and species.
The environmental activist is also opposed to Farage's pledge to scrap the UK's net zero targets and commitments and fast-track North Sea oil and gas licences. Pownall has admitted that he is 'burnt out' after fighting two other elections in three months and will do 'as little as possible' in the Clacton campaign.
However, Pownall believes that his campaign is more serious than Count Binface's, despite thinking it would be 'funny' if Binface won the vote. The man dressed as a fox is not to be confused with Laurence Fox, the controversial Reclaim Party candidate standing in the same by-election.
Howling Laud Hope, the leader of the Monster Raving Loony Party, will also be standing in the contest next month. The by-election was triggered by Farage's decision to resign as MP for Clacton earlier this week, which he said was a bid to prove his popularity after a string of scandals over his finances.
Farage has faced questions about his financial dealings, including allegations that he did not properly declare a 'gift' of £5 million from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne in January 2024. The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner is currently looking into the allegations.
The Labour Party has also asked the Electoral Commission to investigate whether Farage broke electoral law by failing to declare gifts from George Cottrell. Reform UK has been contacted for comment.
