The Great Pretenders: A Cautionary Tale from Clacton The spectacle unfolding in Clacton on Sea has all the hallmarks of a farce, but it's not just the would be politicians on stage who are putting on a show.
The major parties themselves have handed the spotlight to a motley crew of fringe candidates by boycotting the byelection.
At the center of the action is Count Binface, the self proclaimed "joke" candidate who has secured an interview on Radio 4's Today program.