For the second time in a week, a giant effigy of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer went up in flames during Guy Fawkes Night celebrations — this time at Edenbridge, Kent.
Crowds gathered on November 8 as a towering 36-foot figure of the embattled PM was set ablaze in the annual festivities.
The eye-catching effigy portrayed Starmer as a flamboyant Guy Fawkes, complete with a ruffled collar, a Capotain hat, and flip-flops — a playful nod to his mandatory digital ID scheme, symbolized by a mock digital ID tucked into his belt.
A red badge on the effigy read “Starmer The Farmer Harmer,” while he clutched a clipboard emblazoned with “suck up to Trump.”
The Society Behind the Spectacle
Laura Lawrence of the Edenbridge Bonfire Society explained the effigy’s design: “For the first time, we actually gave him a Guy Fawkes ruff and hat because, frankly, Starmer is doing a fine job of igniting Parliament by himself at the moment.”
The society, which has been staging satirical effigies since 1994, is known for poking fun at politicians, celebrities, and public figures.
Previous targets have included Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
In recent years, they’ve even taken aim at corporate giants, like Ticketmaster during last year’s Oasis ticket frenzy.
Starmer Becomes the Centerpiece
This year, Sir Keir edged out figures like Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and Andrew Tate to claim the spotlight at Edenbridge.
His political decisions, particularly Labour’s inheritance tax proposals on farmers earlier this year, had sparked protests and made him a ripe target for satire.
Andrea Deans, one of the creators of the effigy, said: “We feel the public have chosen wisely this year when you look at how the government is treating its citizens.
There were so many details we could include, and it was fun figuring out how to represent them visually.”
Earlier Bonfire Night Jabs in Lewes
The Edenbridge event came just days after similar Bonfire Night festivities in Lewes, East Sussex, where Starmer was lampooned in a series of outrageous effigies.
One depicted him as a juggling clown surrounded by oversized balls labeled “balls up,” “inflation nation,” and “100 in, one out” — a clear dig at his premiership.
Another showed a wild-eyed Starmer gripping a dislodged steering wheel atop a tractor with “all lies Starmer” written across the front.
Returning Bonfire Night to Political Roots
Bill Cummings, chairman of the Bonfire Society, emphasized the group’s intent: “This is a great opportunity to remind everyone why we have Bonfire Night in the first place, a message that has been lost in recent years.”
The organizers said they wanted this year’s effigy to focus on political satire rather than celebrity culture.
Given Starmer’s local ties — he grew up in nearby Oxted and even played for a local Edenbridge football team — he was a natural choice for the centerpiece.
Visual Details and Crowd Reactions
The attention to detail impressed attendees.
The ruffled collar, flip-flops, and clipboard were just a few of the playful nods to Starmer’s policies and public image.
As the effigy burned, spectators cheered, laughed, and snapped photos, continuing a tradition that combines spectacle with social commentary.
Andrea Deans summed it up: “Bonfire Night is about more than fireworks and flames — it’s a chance to have a bit of fun while reflecting on politics and society.
This year’s effigy certainly does that.”