On July 4, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is already staring down the barrel of the largest Conservative defeat in 200 years and potentially losing his seat, will suffer another ignominy: sharing a stage with Count Binface.

The comedy character has been competing against Prime Ministers in elections since 1987, however back then he was known by a different name: Lord Buckethead.

Shrouded in an enormous black cape and sporting a huge spherical head, Lord Buckethead was politics’ version of Darth Vader – a character he was partly parodied on.

His origins stem back to American Sci-Fi writer Todd Durham’s 1984 film Hyperspace which was a send up of George Lucas’s recently released Star Wars.

Three years after the film was released, British home video director Mike Lee stood against Margaret Thatcher in her Finchley constituency dressed in the character and a legend was born.

Shrouded in an enormous black cape and sporting a huge spherical head, Lord Buckethead was politics’ version of Darth Vader (pictured in 2017)

His new form, Count Binface, has announced he will stand against Rishi Sunak in the General Election

The Prime Minister will battle Binface for control of the Richmond and Northallerton constituency

Lord Buckethead would go to contest the 1992 election before reappearing in 2017 when comedian Jon Harvey took up the helmet. resulting in a legal squabble for the ages.

After Harvey’s appearance as the dark lord interest in the parody skyrocketed which led to Durham reinstating his control of the character and taking over Harvey’s Twitter account.

Speaking to the Guardian at the time, the comedian recalled: ‘Todd said that the Twitter account I created wasn’t legal as it stood, and that to rectify it I needed to give him the password to the account. I didn’t know then – and still don’t know now – what my rights were and I couldn’t find an affordable way to find out, so eventually I acquiesced.’

Channeling his frustration, Harvey created a new character of Count Binface, an intergalactic lefty space warrior and a new chapter in British political satire was born.

Now, as the Count prepares to fight against Rishi Sunak for control of the Richmond and Northallerton constituency, MailOnline breaks down the chequered history and electoral misfortunes of ‘the man who would be bin’. 

1987: Lord Buckethead challenged Margaret Thatcher in the last General Election she fought 

1992: Five years later, her successor John Major was also challenged by the dark lord 

1987 – Toe to toe with Margaret Thatcher 

In 1987, a bullish Margaret Thatcher was looking nailed on to secure a third term as Prime Minister. 

With the backing of the media and promising lower taxes, Thatcher’s government were looking set to maintain their majority over Neil Kinnock’s Labour party however they didn’t bank on Buckethead. 

Out of nowhere, it was announced that a man dressed in black with a large plastic receptacle on his head would contest Thatcher’s Finchley seat. 

The man behind the mask, Mike Lee, was at the time the head of the independent home video label VIPCO, and saw the stunt as a golden opportunity to gain some publicity. 

Among Buckethead’s pledges was an outrageous plan to demolish Birmingham and create a spaceport in its place. 

Buckethead would go on to win 131 votes which wasn’t enough to unseat Thatcher who retained her position with over 20,000 votes. 

1992 – Battling John Major 

Four years later, Buckethead took on John Major who had deposed Margaret Thatcher and was now head of the Tories. 

This time the battleground was Major’s seat in Huntingdon and although he fought hard Buckethead was unable to repeat his electoral success of five years previously. 

In the count, the Lord of the bins received just 107 votes (0.1%) of the electorate. 

As a result he lost his deposit and went into hiding for a number of years. 

Major’s Conservative party went on to win the election albeit with a drastically reduced majority. 

2017: After 25 years on the sidelines, comedian Jon Harvey decided to revive the dark Lord and ran against Theresa May in Maidenhead

Despite his clear novelty status, Buckethead put a lot of effort into his campaign, distributing 4000 leaflets throughout Maidenhead

2017 – Returning to fight Theresa May 

After 25 years on the sidelines, comedian Jon Harvey decided to revive the dark Lord in 2017 and ran against Theresa May in Maidenhead during the Brexit years. 

Despite his clear novelty status, Buckethead put a lot of effort into his campaign, distributing 4000 leaflets throughout Maidenhead.

In his Manifesto, he had a slew of amusing promises, including the nationalisation of Adele. 

And after collecting a grand total of 249 votes in Maidenhead, Lord Buckethead even basked in international fame.

The eccentric candidate, from hyperspace, was flown over to New York City to appear on John Oliver’s HBO show ‘Last Week Tonight’. 

As he lifted off on a podium, Oliver implored Theresa May to send him to Brussels.

He said: ‘Theresa May, if you are still Prime Minister by the time this show airs, I implore you, send the dark lord to Brussels.

‘Is it an absurd idea? Yes, but it would not even be close to the stupidest thing that you have ever done.’ 

2019: Boris Johnson’s Conservative’s secured a shock landslide victory but the two bins fared less well with Binface securing just 69 votes to Buckethead’s 125

2019 – Buckethead and Binface take on Boris Johnson 

Following his 2017 revival, interest in Lord Buckethead peaked but behind the scenes trouble was brewing in the shape of a copyright dispute. 

Buckethead’s creator Todd Durham announced that he was reclaiming ownership of the comedy character meaning if Harvey was to stand again a new characther had to emerge from the shadows. 

And thus, Count Binface was born. 

Harvey announced he would contest Boris Johnson’s constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip as Count Binface, citing ‘an unpleasant battle on the planet Copyright’ as the reason for his regeneration. 

Marketing himself as an ‘independent space warrior’ and ‘Leader of the Recyclons’ – Binface would go on to campaign to bring back Ceefax, as well as fighting for ‘a cleaner, greener galaxy.’ 

Intriquingly, Lord Buckethead also stood at the election fighting the same seat as a representative of the Monster Raving Loony Party. 

Reacting to the news, Binface said he looked forward to ‘challenging [him] to take part in a receptacle-to-receptacle debate.’ 

At the count however as Boris Johnson’s Conservative’s secured a shock landslide victory, the two bins fared less well with Binface securing just 69 votes  to Buckethead’s 125. 

2021: On polling day, it went down to the wire but Laurence Fox emerged victorious with 47, 634 votes to Binface’s 24,775

Neither candidate progressed past the first round of voting

2021 – Laurence Fox’s faltering mayoral campaign is overshadowed by Binface 

Two years later in a change from previous form, Count Binface announced he would be running in the 2021 Mayoral Elections against Sadiq Khan and actor turned right wing firebrand Laurence Fox. 

Running on a manifesto that pledged ‘fiscal responsibility, social awareness, and not being an anti-vaccine nutjob.’ 

Fox’s reclaim party meanwhile promised to  end the divisive and discriminatory wokery that has infected [London]’ and pledged to celebrate London with a ‘Festival of London.’ 

Undeterred by his big money backed opponent, Binface unveiled a raft if counter policies including for London to rejoin the EU and for loud snacks to be banned from theaters. 

On polling day, it went down to the wire but Fox emerged victorious with 47, 634 votes to Binface’s 24,775. 

Neither candidate progressed past the first round of voting. 

2024: Three years later, Binface again contested the London Mayoral Election, losing to Sadiq Khan

2024 – Binface gives Britain First a bloody nose 

Three years later, Binface again contested the London Mayoral Election, albeit this time not against Laurence Fox who wasn’t allowed to stand due to ‘paperwork issue’. 

As with 2021, Binface ran on an absurd manifesto which promised to rename London Bridge after Phoebe Waller-Bridge and force Thames Water managers to swim in the Thames. 

But, despite pledging to cap the price of croissants at £1.10 and grant Grade 1 listed status to Claudia Winkleman’s fringe, Count Binface finished 13th.

The wacky political figure, who claims to be a 5,072-year-old intergalactic space warrior, won 24,260 votes (0.98%) compared to Sadiq Khan’s 1,088,225 (43.8%).

However, it appears it was not all bad for Binface who defeated Britain First candidate Nick Scanlon, who won 20,519 (0.83%) of the vote, which was nearly 4,000 less.

After discovering his victory over Mr Scanlon, he said ‘down with fascism, up with Ceefax’.

It looks like I have defeated Britain First in an election,’ he told reporters at City Hall. 

‘Come on, you have to cheer about that…down with fascism, up with Ceefax, what can I say?’ 

2024 – Binface announces he will run against Rishi Sunak in Yorkshire 

Last week, the count of no fixed abode announced he would be standing against Rishi Sunak in his Richmond and North Allerton seat to cap off what has so far been a tough campaign for the Conservatives. 

Announcing his candidacy and taking the fight directly to Sunak, the count bullishly said: ‘You shirked D-Day Rishi, you can’t miss the B-Day.’ 

In Binface’s new manifesto, entitled ‘Bloody Loyal to Wherever I’m Standing for Election’, the joke candidate has pledged to build a ‘space bridge’ to clear up Northallerton High Street’s traffic problems. 

He has also vowed that if elected, all former Prime Minister’s will be forced to do National Service in response to the Conservatives controversial vision for  the nation’s youth. 

The nation now waits with baited breath for July 4 when the next chapter in the never ending saga will be written.