Voters in the English seaside town of Clacton-on-Sea head to the polls on Thursday in a by-election pitting far-right Reform UK leader Nigel Farage against Count Binface, a novelty candidate who describes himself as an "independent space warrior".
But who is Count Binface, Leader of the Recyclons, and where does he stand on Palestine and other issues in the Middle East?
Binface's foreign policy
Binface, the alter ego of comedian and comedy writer Jon Harvey, has set out a raft of policies, including a cap on croissant prices, improved Wi-Fi on trains and conscripting people who use speakerphones on public transport.
He has also occasionally ventured into foreign policy, including by calling for an end to British arms sales to Saudi Arabia
"The UK must immediately follow the example of President Biden and stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia. (They should also start buying space lasers from Count Binface, but that bit can wait.)," Binface wrote on Twitter in January 2021, responding to a Sky News post about the killing of nine civilians in Yemen by Saudi airstrikes.
The comedy candidate has otherwise said little about the Middle East, with some of his strongest political jabs instead directed at Britain's departure from the European Union.
"First I analysed the cons of Brexit. That took me quite a long time. I'm still doing that," Binface said in an interview with British journalist Mehdi Hasan earlier this week.
"Then I decided to look at the pros," he continued, before adding: "None that I can see."
Despite sitting down with Hasan, who is known for his coverage of the Middle East, the interview steered clear of the region.
'Where's Sangita?'
While Binface has not directly spoken about Palestine, the run-up to the by-election has seen videos resurface of the comedian repeatedly asking journalists from LBC Radio why one of the station's former presenters, Sangita Myska, was suddenly dropped without explanation.
Myska's last appearance on LBC was on 14 April 2024, when she grilled Israeli spokesman Avi Hyman over Israel's attack on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus. She did not return to her regular show, with LBC announcing weeks later that she was leaving the station.
Her departure prompted widespread speculation that it was connected to the interview with Hyman, although LBC has not publicly said this was the reason. Critics have cited the episode in wider concerns about the treatment of voices critical of Israel in Britain's mainstream media.
In one video circulated on social media, an LBC journalist introduces himself to Binface at an election count.
"LBC, lovely!" Binface responds. "What happened to Sangita Myska? What happened to Sangita Myska, everyone?"
The exchange is one of many quips delivered by Count Binface, whose unlikely presence in the political spotlight has also provided an avenue for more serious criticism of British politics and the media.
In the race for Clacton-on-Sea, Binface has taken indirect jabs at scandal-hit Farage by pledging not to accept £5 million gifts from crypto billionaires and to spend more time in Clacton than Washington, references to controversy surrounding the Reform leader and his frequent trips to the United States.