Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The “intergalactic space warrior” is “over your moon” with the pledge coming true.
British election campaigns usually revolve around bitter arguments, economic forecasts, and endless debates. Every race brings grand promises.
Yet occasionally, the most eccentric political pledges take on a surprising life of their own long after voting ends.
A surprise victory
Satirical candidate Count Binface, who dresses as an intergalactic warrior with a dustbin on his head, has long targeted inconvenient public bathroom equipment across Britain. During his Clacton parliamentary run against Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, Binface vowed to move an awkward hand dryer inside The Great Himalayas restaurant in Southport.
Against all odds, the pledge became reality. Metro reported that the restaurant moved the machine to a more sensible location, handing the novelty politician an unexpected achievement.
Binface was thrilled with the outcome. “I am over your moon to discover that the hand-dryer at the Great Himalayas Restaurant has been moved,” he told Metro, celebrating relief for local visitors.
He quickly used the moment to poke fun at his political rival. “To have such a seismic impact before I’m even elected just goes to show what a total slacker Nigel Farage is,” Binface said, urging other venues to follow suit.
The accidental landmark
Across London, another bathroom tells a very different story. At the Crown and Treaty pub in Uxbridge, an old dryer still hangs directly over a urinal, exactly where Binface spotted it while challenging Boris Johnson in 2019.
Curious travelers now make special pilgrimages. Some visitors have traveled all the way from Somerset to catch a glimpse of the odd setup.
Pub owners Guna and Anu Sachdeva initially received confusing calls and internet comments. “These men came and told us about it, and then asked to put our ice bucket on their head so they can take a picture with it,” Guna told Metro.
Rather than move the machine, the brothers decided to keep the attraction alive for amused guests. “Unfortunately, the hand dryer is still in the same position. But we still get the odd person coming to take a look,” Anu told Metro. The pub has even gained quirky online reviews, turning an inconvenient fixture into an unlikely local legend.
Who is Count Binface?
The novelty politician was created by the British writer and comedian Jon Harvey to contest elections in the UK.
He is described as an “intergalactic space warrior” and has made several appearances as a political candidate – most recently in the 2026 Clacton by-election, where he ran against Nigel Farage, coming in second with 27% of the votes against Farage’s 63.3%.
It should be noted that the by-election was boycotted by other major parties.
He has released several manifestos about his policy with the second point of order on his Clacton manifesto being to lower “your” taxes and raise them for everyone else.
Point 17 in his Clacton manifesto was: “The hand-dryer in the gents’ toilet at the Great Himalayas restaurant, Southport, to be moved to a more sensible position” – the pledge which has now come true.
The Count’s first appearance on the public stage was in December 2018, when he challenged Boris Johnson in the 2019 general election in Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
