Emerging from the shadows is the hero London deserves, and one that, some would argue, it definitely needs right now.
London’s Mystery Batman
That’s right. There are videos currently doing the rounds on social media of an anonymous caped crusader who wants to make the capital’s problems ‘go away.’ He calls himself ‘London’s Batman.’
One day, he is litter-picking and setting up a food stall for pennies. The next, he is handing out £70 fuel vouchers at petrol stations. And the reason? To emphasise how ‘prices are too high.’
‘People are struggling, and I want to help,’ he said in a recent interview with the BBC.
In another video, a bystander asks mystery Batman what message he would send to No. 10 if he could.
‘Help people,’ he replies. ‘Show it with actions, not just words.’
The politics of small fixes has become a major talking point in recent weeks, championed by the likes of Andy Burnham, Count Binface (a self-proclaimed ‘intergalactic space warrior’ whose real name is Jon Harvey), and now London’s Batman, whose identity remains unknown.
Small but Real Fixes
There is a certain uncanny resemblance between these three seemingly disparate individuals. Each one is doing something to ease the current cost-of-living crisis. London’s Batman recently paid people’s fines in a hospital car park, and Andy Burnham vowed to end excessive private parking charges only a fortnight ago. To date, Batman’s biggest stunt has been to pay for almost £4,000 worth of petrol on behalf of motorists. Additionally, Burnham has recently frozen fuel duty and introduced Google Maps Fuel Finder to allow drivers to compare prices between petrol stations. And Count Binface has been advocating to abolish auto-renew subscriptions, as UK households currently spend £1.6bn a year on unwanted ones.
Correspondingly, Burnham announced that from January, businesses will have to provide their customers with regular reminders about their subscriptions, whilst also making it easier to cancel them. And when London’s Batman set up a stall on Oxford Street selling Freddos for five pence, he sampled the ensuing video with a clip of Burnham saying how the chocolate bar was the ‘most talked about cost of living symbol in the UK.’
And the similarities don’t stop there, especially when it comes to Batman and Binface. Both prefer to remain anonymous and use costumes to disguise their identity. Though Batman’s real name remains unknown, many suspect that he is Niko Omilana, a YouTuber who came fifth place in the 2021 London mayoral election. Both operate on the fringe of politics, and yet they have been able to cut through the noise of social media and make headlines in a way that most MPs could only dream of. At a glance, Binface has 406K Instagram followers, while London’s Batman has 136K. Not bad at all considering these are not celebrities or politicians with large social media budgets and teams. Crucially, what makes Binface and Batman stand out is their ability to cut through the bullshit and shed light on everyday frustrations, becoming a beloved voice of the people.
When Count Binface ran for the Makerfield by-election in June, which Andy Burnham ultimately won, he claimed he would cap the price of local kebabs at £2. Then, when he ran against Nigel Farage in the Clacton by-election in August, he promised to cap bus fares at £1.99 as well as the price of 99p Flakes. As a reminder, Binface came second with almost 10,000 votes. But behind the silly costume and the unlikelihood that he will ever win an election, few can argue with the fact that he has used his platform to highlight rising concerns over affordability. Unlike Farage, who received financial backing estimated at 5m from the Thai-based crypto billionaire Chris Harborne, as well as significant campaign support from a wealthy convicted fraudster known as Posh George, Binface’s popularity has been driven and sustained almost exclusively by public faith.
Whether he is highlighting the rising cost of food or the futility of the HS2 debacle, voters appreciate what Binface has to say. And while he may claim to be from Planet Sigma IX, Count Binface was arguably the most down-to-earth candidate in the Clacton by-election.
Similarly, London’s Batman has won the attention of a largely disillusioned electorate who find themselves struggling amidst rising food prices and mounting litter in the capital.
Reflecting on his recent chain of good deeds, one commentator has said that people like him are ‘shining a light on things that seem small’ to politicians but greatly affect ‘the everyday person.’ That sums it up aptly. The philanthropist’s stunts have sparked an outpouring of support from people who want Batman to stand for Parliament, showing that everyday fixes often resonate better with voters than vague promises to improve the country.
Strategy Wins Voters
Whether consciously or unconsciously, Andy Burnham is evidently taking a leaf from this book of good deeds. After taking the premiership in July and announcing major changes to social care and defence, the Prime Minister has been busy releasing a tranche of micro-policies to tackle everyday bugbears. In the first month of his premiership, Burnham cut VAT on soaring electricity bills, acknowledging how ‘difficult’ it was for households to routinely face rising costs, and announced a £2 cap on bus fares.
Perhaps inspired by the Mayor of New York’s success in filling 200,000 potholes this year alone, our PM has pledged to resurface 7,000 miles of England’s roads in order to tackle the same problem. This has been a clever move. The state of our British roads is one of the most talked-about (or grumbled-about) areas of politics. Seeing potholes filled is physical proof that the government is doing something right. This is also one of those universal policies that appeal to people across the political spectrum, not just Labour supporters.
In her usual combative fashion, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused the Prime Minister of ‘not [being] serious,’ to which Burnham replied that he was ‘doing small things that help people have better lives.’
Indeed, opinion polls indicate that the strategy of small fixes is working. Burnham has the highest approval rating of any current party leader. According to More in Common, almost half of households ( 45 per cent ) believe that the new PM understands the pressure of high energy bills, compared to 23 per cent for Starmer.
So, regardless of whether it’s championed by Burnham, Batman or Binface, the politics of small fixes has proven to be an effective way to appeal to the masses and win over disillusioned voters. Let’s hope it continues.
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