Because the mainstream parties have refused to stand candidates in opposition to Farage, stating "it's a stunt" there is some feeling Binface will not only get his deposit back, if the protest vote is strong enough...

Farage is very popular in Clacton. It's an older, reactionary community but british elections are First-Past-The-Post and normally have a low turn out so if enough old people died after the last election and enough younger people come out to vote, it is possible although I personally think unlikely, Binface will win.

Regrettably, for purists, and those who want Binface to win, other novelty candidates are now standing. The man dressed as a fox, and the monster raving loony party. Both appear to be somewhat petulant, MRLP is unhappy Binface has taken their spot in novelty candidature, and there are rumours MRLP and Mr Fox are being funded by right wing parties opposed to Farage. British Politics are very strange.

If the UK had proportional/transferrable votes, these alternate candidates would ultimately send votes to Binface in all likelihood. But, thats not how it works in British Parliamentary elections and by-elections. Forms of complex vote are used for the regional devolved parliaments in Wales and Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Andy Burnham (the future Labour prime minister from Manchester replacing Sir Keir Starmer) has previously indicated support for ending FPTP but people often say this before achieving power, and then fail to make it happen in power. Should he carry out another proposed idea of "a Parliament for England" based in the north, then it is likely as for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland it would not use FPTP.

Didn't they hold a referendum on an alternative voting system and it failed? I'd moved away by that time, but I seem to remember they basically chose a bad and confusing system to make sure it didn't pass.

MMP seems to work very well where I currently reside and it wouldn't be too confusing to add it to the British system, basically adding a party vote alongside the local MP vote and then taking MPs from the party lists to make it proportional.

> there are rumours MRLP and Mr Fox are being funded by right wing parties opposed to Farage

Opposed? This sounds like the right strategy for those allied to him. It dilutes Binface's vote pool, giving Farage a better chance of winning.