Britain's by-election circus shows politics has become a clown show - opinion

The article argues that recent UK by-elections, including the one that made Andy Burnham prime minister and the upcoming Clacton by-election where Nigel Farage is standing again, have become a costly and absurd spectacle. The author criticizes the lack of public consultation, the involvement of spoof candidates like Count Binface, and the new Labour government's focus on hostility toward Israel rather than domestic policy.

The article, written by retired criminal judge Nigel Lithman, argues that recent UK by-elections have become a costly and absurd political spectacle. It highlights two specific by-elections: the one that propelled Andy Burnham to Parliament and made him prime minister, which the author calls an unnecessary device, and the upcoming Clacton by-election where Nigel Farage is standing again after resigning, which the author calls a farce. The author criticizes the lack of public consultation, noting that Burnham became prime minister based on a 7,000 majority in a by-election while the remaining 66.5 million population were not consulted. The article also mocks spoof candidates like Count Binface and Lord Bucket Head, calling them clowns. The author then shifts to criticizing the new Labour government, particularly Burnham's inaugural speech apologizing for the delay in calling a ceasefire after October 7, and Ed Miliband's perceived hostility toward Israel. The article concludes that the Labour government's only topic of unity is hatred of Israel, and they deserve the title of clowns more than the spoof election candidates.