Town builds 11-metre effigy of Keir Starmer to burn for Bonfire Night
The prime minister is depicted wearing a ‘Starmer the farmer harmer’ badge and flip flops
A colossal 11-metre effigy of Sir Keir Starmer, complete with a “farmer harmer” badge, has been unveiled for Edenbridge’s Bonfire Night celebrations on 8 November.
The figure, the event’s centrepiece, depicts the prime minister holding a burning torch, a digital ID card at his belt, a traditional hat, a frilly Guy Fawkes-style ruff, and flip-flops.
Edenbridge Bonfire Society has been poking fun at celebrities and politicians through their effigies since 1994, previously targeting Donald Trump, Liz Truss, Harvey Weinstein, Katie Hopkins and Sir Sadiq Khan.
Creators said the effigy has taken the tradition back to its roots after poking fun at ticket-selling platform Ticketmaster last year following public reaction to dynamic pricing over the Oasis tour.
Bill Cummings, chair of the Bonfire Society, said: “This decision is a great opportunity to remind everyone why we have Bonfire Night in the first place, a message that has perhaps been forgotten over more recent years.”
The prime minister’s effigy is holding a clipboard with “Suck up to Trump” written in big letters and policies such as the new “one in, one out” agreement with France crossed out.
Sir Keir has a local connection to the area as he was raised in nearby Oxted and is said to have played football at one of the local clubs in Edenbridge.
Andrea Deans, one of the creators of this year’s effigy, said: “We feel the public have chosen well this year when you look at how the current government is treating its citizens.
“There were so many elements we could include on the effigy, and it was interesting working out how these could be represented visually.”
Other contenders for the 2025 event included Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, Andrew Tate, Baroness Michelle Mone and MP Angela Rayner.
“Many of my friends are from the farming community and I know they will be delighted with who we have chosen this year,” said Reece Hook, another effigy creator.
Edenbridge Bonfire Society has been celebrating Bonfire Night for nearly 100 years but began the tradition of burning giant effigies in the mid-1990s.
Sir Winston Churchill is one of several famous figures to have opened the Kent town’s Bonfire Night celebrations.
This year more than 500 people are expected to take part in the torchlit parade through Edenbridge High Street.