A guide to the joke candidates and funny rituals of the British general election

There will be elections in the UK on July 4th that could see the Conservative Party lose power for the first time in 14 years. Plus, you can look forward to lots of dog photos.

Here’s a guide to the most eccentric events of the British election season.

Count Binface, the Monster Raving Loony Party and other joke candidates

The British Prime Minister is burdened with the responsibility of leading a (slightly compromised) nuclear power. On election night, he will be accompanied on stage by a man carrying a garbage can on his head.

Because when the results are read out for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s constituency – which will be broadcast live on television – his opponents will include Count Binface, a self-proclaimed intergalactic space ruler who includes a long-standing tradition of satirical candidates running against prominent politicians.

Count Binface, whose hoax manifesto includes promises to cap the price of croissants and ban noisy snacks from movie theaters, is part of a long tradition of hoax candidates. Other contenders include an activist in an Elmo costume and the Monster Raving Loony Party, which stands for “madness.”

“The idea of ​​joke candidates or fringe candidates can be traced back over 100 years,” says Philip Cowley, professor of politics at Queen Mary University in London, because “there is a certain openness to the British political system.”

And while the satirical candidates make the British laugh – and provide absurd photo opportunities on election night – they are also celebrated by their fans as pillars of British democracy. Cowley compared the tradition to the ancient Roman ritual in which a slave whispered “Memento mori” in the ear of his emperor to remind him of the leader’s mortality.

Count Binface, played by 44-year-old comedian Jon Harvey, told the Washington Post that fielding joke candidates alongside party leaders at the election announcement “is a real leveller – and something that makes British democracy particularly wonderful and unique.”

It is not uncommon for senior British politicians to find themselves in embarrassing and absurd situations – conveniently in front of the cameras.

This form of slapstick politics was perfected by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who deliberately drove a digger through a false wall labelled ‘Gridlock’ during an election campaign. (This is the same politician who somehow managed to turn getting stuck on a zipline during the 2012 London Olympics into a successful PR moment.)

This year it was the Liberal Democrat leader’s turn to pull off stunts. Ed Davey toured Britain’s water parks to raise awareness of water pollution and fell off his paddleboard five times on camera. He later admitted that at least one of his falls was deliberate.

The apparent joviality of British politics is not due to a lack of seriousness in the art of election campaigning, says Cowley, but rather reflects the attempt by campaign strategists to appeal to the political sensibilities of the British.

“The British don’t like pomposity, and what might seem statesmanlike in some countries can seem incredibly boastful here,” he said. “So part of the campaign is also to try to humanise the person.”

Every election day, the internet is flooded with thousands of images of dogs waiting patiently outside polling stations while their owners go about their democratic duties. It’s not clear who started this tradition, but perhaps it was inevitable for a nation of dog lovers armed with social media technology.

It also provides an entertaining backdrop for broadcasters, who are prohibited from reporting on election issues or opinion polls on election day.

Last time, the dogs at the polling stations were joined by a reindeer, horses and even a giant turtle named Yoda.

The job of British Prime Minister requires several skills, one of which is the ability to pour beer into a pint glass so that it produces sufficient foam.

According to this rite of passage for politicians, politicians are regularly tested on their ability to tap as perfectly as possible from a pub keg – this is the British equivalent of a member of parliament attending a state fair or going to a diner.

“It’s a symbol that you’re a normal person,” Cowley said.

The definition of perfection varies depending on the beer and who you ask, but most agree that to get the perfect head, you need to hold the glass at a 45-degree angle and gradually tilt the vessel upright as you fill it.

The pint test is considered so important that Labour leader Keir Starmer attracted widespread media attention in June when he visited a London pub and was filmed pouring an amber-coloured beer that an onlooker described as “perfect”. An opposition MP, however, was forced to apologise last year after sharing a fake image that appeared to show Sunak, a self-described “teezer”, pouring a poorly poured pint.

A government minister felt compelled to share the original image to prove that Sunak’s plan was indeed perfectly decent.

Just call it “Genny Lex”

Officially, the election is called the British general election. But many young Britons increasingly prefer the joking nickname “Genny Lex”.

The jocular phrase springs from the British tradition of Cockney rhyming slang and puns – a history that in recent years has also given rise to catchy three-syllable nicknames for most national events, no matter how serious. (The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee became known as “Platty Joobs,” while the coronation of King Charles III sparked a debate about whether to call it “Coribobs” or “Cory Nash.”)

The nickname has become such a phenomenon that it is even used – rather jokingly – by the mainstream media. The public broadcaster discussed the term on its political podcast and brought in a woman named Jenny Leckey for an interview.