It is a well-worn tradition of UK elections that joke candidates stand against party leaders.
In an arena where so much time is spent on optics, the visual of a struggling prime minister pondering their future between Lord Buckethead and Elmo is enough to drive any political professional up the wall - but also reminds the viewer that politicians are people too.
There are several familiar faces every time the country goes to the polls - and 2024 is no different.
Rishi Sunak, win or lose, will be sharing a stage with Count Binface when the results in Richmond and Northallerton are read out - likely in the early hours of 5 July.
Meanwhile, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will be alongside Elmo in Holborn and St Pancras.
Both of these satirical candidates - Elmo and Binface - stood against Boris Johnson in 2019 and Theresa May in 2017.
But the tradition of joke candidates stretches back even further.
…
As well as the individual parody candidates, there are some parody parties.
The largest example is the Monster Raving Loony Party - famous for its big hats, garish outfits and unique candidate names.
It is putting up Sir Archibald Stanton against Mr Sunak in Richmond and Northallerton, and Nick the incredible Flying Brick against Sir Keir in Holborn and St Pancras.
While the MRLP is the only political party that I’ve been a fully paid up member of, I do find their names underwhelming these days. Where are the Tarquin Fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-F’tang-F’tang-Olé-Biscuitbarrels of today?
Probably too long for the online forms everything use nowadays. Before you just had to write ~real small~ on the paper form.
NOUGHT
Where are the Tarquin Fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-F’tang-F’tang-Olé-Biscuitbarrels of today?
Murdered by the returning officer?
Tarquin Fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-F’tang-F’tang-Olé-Biscuitbarrels
That is a thing of beauty!
I Remember it at the time, definitely added a bit if colour to proceedings.
Don’t the MRLP have quite a good track record of their policies actually being implemented 30 years or so after they first joked about them?
I will look some up later…
7 Monster Raving Loony Party policies which are now part of UK law:
- 24-hour licensing laws
- Lowering the voting age to 18
- Abolition of dog licences
- The legalisation of commercial radio
- The pedestrianisation of Carnaby Street
- Passports for pets
- Abolition of the 11 plus exam
ty!
Just goes to show that sometimes the crazy ideas are really just ideas ahead of their time.
Here’s hoping for the abolition of gravity in a few decades, then.
Get a few right wing nutters to claim gravity is left wing invention. I fairly sure Sunak will have abolishing it in his manifesto.
Which is obviously ridiculous because there is nothing more authoritarian than gravity.
Become an anarchist - buy a magnet
Monty Python election results:
And the Blackadder equivalent:
I thought this was just tongue-in-cheek name calling. But holy shit lol
This has been a thing for years. Binface got like, 10K votes when he ran for mayor of London once.
I think people have broadly become tired with the joke now, though. The state of politics has become too depressing to see the humour anymore.
It might be that the chance of actually electing one no longer feels like nil.
Honestly I’m all for anything that robs a little bit more dignity from these toffs. I’m looking forward to Rishi (hopefully) delivering a historic concession speech with a man standing behind him in cardboard armour with a bin over his head. Maybe we can organise some rainwater to be present also, just to rub it in.
Come on even if the tories won. As depressing as that may need.
Sunak losing his seat to binnacle is a laugh no one could resist. As the winning party has to consider the fact their leader is not an MP.
He got 24k this year.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2024/england/mayors/E12000007
Tell me it’s your first Westminster election without telling me.
I’m a yank
Well, welcome.
