Lighter political moments of 2023: From Count Binface to Sunak pulling a pint

Here is a look at some of the lighter political moments from the year.

– Count Binface runs in by-election

Following Boris Johnson’s resignation as MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip in June, one masked challenger stepped up to the plate in the form of Count Binface, a satirical political candidate created by comedian Jonathan David Harvey.

Wearing a large silver bin as a helmet covering his face and clothed in silver attire, the candidate told the PA news agency it was “time to take out the trash” on politicians who have “made a mockery” of politics.

Taking aim at the former prime minister’s resignation honours list, Binface said ahead of the vote: “If I am elected to Parliament, I will seek a private member’s bill to repeal every single one of Bojo’s appointments, and for the icing on the cake I will also abolish the Lords.”

He won 190 votes (0.61%) in the July by-election – beating the 101 votes accrued by Piers Corbyn, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s brother – and lost out to Steve Tuckwell MP of the Conservative Party.

The independent candidate also stood for mayor of London in 2021, when he pledged to rename London Bridge as Phoebe Waller Bridge and earned 24,775 first choice votes.

– Rishi Sunak pours pint at beer festival

Mr Sunak faced mockery when a manipulated image of the prime minister went viral after he was photographed pouring a pint at the Great British Beer Festival in west London’s Olympia in August.

A doctored image was viewed more than 600,000 times after it was shared by Labour MP Karl Turner showing Mr Sunak holding a pint with a thick, white head – as a bartender looked on disapprovingly.

Mr Turner mocked the PM by captioning the post: “That’s nowt like the pints they pull in our local boozer.”

The MP later apologised for posting “what (turned) out to be a fake image”, while Science Secretary Michelle Donelan accused Labour of “misleading” the public over the fake mis-poured pint.

Mr Sunak was heckled during the beer festival, where he was seeking to promote a shake-up of the alcohol duty regime that will increase tax on a range of drinks.

“Prime Minister, oh the irony that you’re raising alcohol duty on the day that you’re pulling a pint,” publican Rudi Keyser yelled.

– Minister’s cockapoo wins Westminster Dog of the Year

The cockapoo of work and pensions minister Mims Davies clinched the title of Westminster Dog of the Year in September, with TJ, 10, proving that age is no barrier to excellence.

The competition has been running since 1992 and this year’s theme was responsible ownership, which saw MPs canvassing for votes from the public before presenting their dogs’ heroic deeds and acts of devotion to a panel of judges.

After receiving the award, Ms Davies told PA TJ “comes to the constituency regularly” and she would be taking him to ministerial meetings.

Asked how she and TJ will celebrate, she said: “I am taking him to ministerial meetings. But he has got a sofa I never get the chance to sit on and he is going to be allowed to do that.”

– Rishi Sunak’s failed TikTok transition becomes a meme

The Prime Minister went viral on TikTok in October after a failed attempt at a transition was made into a meme.

Mr Sunak started the TikTok video by saying “if you live in or around Blyth, you’re going to want to hear this”, before covering the camera with his hand and then reappearing in exactly the same position.

The PM’s lack of understanding of the classic TikTok transition, in which the filmer covers the camera and then reappears in a different location or set-up, was widely mocked online.

Some TikTok users derided the footage in TikTok captions, others transitioned the video to themselves making a funny comment or pretending Mr Sunak had slapped them, while one user even remixed Mr Sunak’s slap of the camera into a cover of New Order’s 1983 synth-pop classic Blue Monday.

– Suella Bravermen steps on dog’s tail

It was an eventful year for Suella Braverman, who was dismissed as home secretary in a cabinet reshuffle in November – but one of her slightly less serious moments occurred at the Conservative Party Conference in October.

Mrs Braverman was photographed by journalist Alexander Brown seemingly stepping on dog Inca’s tail while speaking to members of Guide Dogs UK at their stand at the party conference in Manchester.

After being shown the images, she joked: “I was unaware until a few minutes ago – I don’t think any dogs were harmed in the filming of my visit but let me just issue for the record an apology to all dogs out there.”

Rishi Sunak using a hammer

The prime minister went viral on social media once again after a video circulated widely showing Mr Sunak using the side surface of a hammer end during a visit to a jewellery studio in November.

Many believed the prime minister was using the tool incorrectly, with the clip shared to the Instagram @ukfactcheckpolitics with the caption: “Rishi Sunak doesn’t know how to use a hammer.”

However, Mr Sunak was absolved of his perceived inability to use the tool as a longer version of the clip showed Mr Sunak had been told by an instructor to use the hammer sideways.

– Nigel Farage in the Jungle

Presenter for GB News and former politician Nigel Farage headed into the Australian jungle in November for the latest season of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, which saw him drink blended pigs’ noses, blended crocodile feet, and fermented duck egg.

During his December stint in the Jungle, Mr Farage argued with Sam Thompson over burning rice, said his final thoughts were about “women” during a plane crash in 2010, and clashed with fellow contestants over his political views.

For his final bushtucker trial, Mr Farage kept a cool head while he was locked in the “panic pit”, an underground metal box filled with snakes.