Boris Johnson has a new rival in his bid for Downing Street - Count Binface, writes Jacob Phillips.

The prime minister is facing a determined challenge from Labour in his marginal Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency, where he is defending a 10.8% majority.

And now there's another lining up to trash his reputation - the self-proclaimed independent space warrior and prospective parliamentary candidate for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

Comedian Jon Harvey has a long history of taking on prime ministers as the alter ego Lord Buckethead - Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Theresa May all seeing off his ballot box challenge.

And while many have changed their parties, he’s gone one step further and changed his name to Count Binface thanks to a copyright row over the Buckethead moniker.

Jon said: “Like Chuka Umunna, Anna Soubry, Dominic Grieve and Chuka again, I opted for pastures new.

"I'm back because I predicted that Brexit would be a sh*tshow, and so it proved.

"Mr Johnson claims his Brexit is 'oven-ready', I say it's shop-soiled, past its sell-by-date and contains more than a trace of male bovine faecal matter.

"Surely the only way to unite the country is another referendum, about whether there should be another referendum?"

Jon became Count Binface after he was threatened over the copyright of Lord Buckethead by American film producer Todd Durham, best known for producing the Hotel Transylvania franchise.

Without control over his candidate’s name or Twitter account, Jon revealed he has denounced his peerage and Count Binface will run on the mandate to create a cleaner, greener galaxy.

Jon, who managed just 249 votes when running against Mrs May two years ago, said:  "I shall bring forth my enthusiasm for a cleaner, greener galaxy, but I am not so arrogant as to expect a slew of Uxbridgian and/or Ruislipish votes in what might be a marginal.

"Instead I have identified that the record low score for a General Election candidate is one, which is a bar that I shall happily limbo silkily underneath should voters so choose.

"I am excited to enter the political arena again, and hopefully to inject a tiny bit of interstellar glamour into election night."

However he fears he there may be another rival in his Lord Buckethead costume, when the list of candidate are finalised on Friday.

Film producer Todd insists he welcomes authorised applications to stand as the Lord Buckethead character.

Earlier this year an unknown candidate crowdfunded £16,000 to stand in the European elections, only to stand down and return the cash.

Jon said: “It's certainly bizarre, I didn't ever expect to be running against myself.

"I would have thought it's almost inevitable that someone else will run masquerading as Lord Buckethead.

"My Lord Buckethead character has always been the voice of the people, so my feeling is to let the people be his voice.

"I shall roll out my manifesto in due course and I look forward to both the hustings and to challenging the new 'Lord Buckethead' to take part in a receptacle-to-receptacle debate.

"Yes, Jo Swinson is invited. I'm confident but not complacent that a broadcaster might show interest."

Arthur Balfour was the last Tory leader to lose his seat back in 1906.