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| Monsters, fish fingers & space lords: 5 of the weirdest candidates standing in UK general election | Monsters, fish fingers & space lords: 5 of the weirdest candidates standing in UK general election |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| Thursday’s UK general election is a two-horse race between Theresa May’s Conservatives and Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour. But every election throws up its own local eccentrics, radical alternatives and protest candidates. Here are five of the strangest. | Thursday’s UK general election is a two-horse race between Theresa May’s Conservatives and Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour. But every election throws up its own local eccentrics, radical alternatives and protest candidates. Here are five of the strangest. |
| Monster Raving Loony Party | Monster Raving Loony Party |
| This officially registered party, whose motto is “vote for insanity, you know it makes sense,” has taken part in 25 elections since its foundation in 1982. | This officially registered party, whose motto is “vote for insanity, you know it makes sense,” has taken part in 25 elections since its foundation in 1982. |
| Founder Howling Laud Hope, who claims to be the UK’s “longest-serving party leader,” has announced he is standing against the prime minister in her Maidenhead seat. | Founder Howling Laud Hope, who claims to be the UK’s “longest-serving party leader,” has announced he is standing against the prime minister in her Maidenhead seat. |
| The 74-year-old leader said the party’s long-term aim is to see the British people “singing and dancing out on the streets” and to give them a “sense of humor.” | The 74-year-old leader said the party’s long-term aim is to see the British people “singing and dancing out on the streets” and to give them a “sense of humor.” |
| Off-the-wall policies in its manifesto include introducing a 99p coin. | Off-the-wall policies in its manifesto include introducing a 99p coin. |
| In protest at Conservative cuts to public services, including the National Health Service (NHS), the party also pledges to cut letters from the alphabet, “starting with the letters N, H, S.” | In protest at Conservative cuts to public services, including the National Health Service (NHS), the party also pledges to cut letters from the alphabet, “starting with the letters N, H, S.” |
| The party claims a number of its policies have been stolen by its rivals, such as Labour’s call to lower the voting age from 18 to 16, and UKIP’s adoption of a “one in, one out” immigration policy. | The party claims a number of its policies have been stolen by its rivals, such as Labour’s call to lower the voting age from 18 to 16, and UKIP’s adoption of a “one in, one out” immigration policy. |
| “I don’t know if I’m going to beat Theresa May, but she doesn’t know if she is going to beat me either,” said Hope. | “I don’t know if I’m going to beat Theresa May, but she doesn’t know if she is going to beat me either,” said Hope. |
| He stressed his party “very rarely comes last.” | He stressed his party “very rarely comes last.” |
| Lord Buckethead | Lord Buckethead |
| Theresa May thinks she can shrug off the Loonies’ challenge with her “strong and stable” leadership. But how will she fair against an “intergalactic space lord”? | Theresa May thinks she can shrug off the Loonies’ challenge with her “strong and stable” leadership. But how will she fair against an “intergalactic space lord”? |
| Lord Buckethead, who looks remarkably similar to Star Wars character Darth Vader, has returned to politics after a 25-year absence to stand for May’s Maidenhead constituency. | Lord Buckethead, who looks remarkably similar to Star Wars character Darth Vader, has returned to politics after a 25-year absence to stand for May’s Maidenhead constituency. |
| He initially stood for the Finchley constituency against former Tory Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1987. | He initially stood for the Finchley constituency against former Tory Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1987. |
| His pledges to offer free sweets to children and to bulldoze Birmingham to make way for a spaceport won him 131 votes. | His pledges to offer free sweets to children and to bulldoze Birmingham to make way for a spaceport won him 131 votes. |
| Buckethead then ran against PM John Major in 1992, before he was reportedly killed on the return journey to his home planet. | Buckethead then ran against PM John Major in 1992, before he was reportedly killed on the return journey to his home planet. |
| Buckethead, who got his name from the 1984 film ‘Gremloids,’ told BuzzFeed he is standing against the Tory leader because Britain urgently needs an “opposition.” | Buckethead, who got his name from the 1984 film ‘Gremloids,’ told BuzzFeed he is standing against the Tory leader because Britain urgently needs an “opposition.” |
| “I, Lord Buckethead, am the only candidate standing in the 2017 General Election who directly stood against Margaret Thatcher in 1987, and John Major in 1992,” he told BuzzFeed in a Twitter message. | “I, Lord Buckethead, am the only candidate standing in the 2017 General Election who directly stood against Margaret Thatcher in 1987, and John Major in 1992,” he told BuzzFeed in a Twitter message. |
| “Now it is 25 years later, and Britain sorely needs effective opposition. So I have returned.” | “Now it is 25 years later, and Britain sorely needs effective opposition. So I have returned.” |
| BuzzFeed, however, said it has been unable to verify whether this is the same Lord Buckethead of elections past, or indeed whether the Twitter account actually belongs to him. | BuzzFeed, however, said it has been unable to verify whether this is the same Lord Buckethead of elections past, or indeed whether the Twitter account actually belongs to him. |
| Eli Aldridge | Eli Aldridge |
| Eli Aldridge is standing for a well-established political party on a perfectly coherent policy platform. What makes him unusual in this election is his age – he’s still in school. | Eli Aldridge is standing for a well-established political party on a perfectly coherent policy platform. What makes him unusual in this election is his age – he’s still in school. |
| Eighteen-year-old Aldridge is standing for the Labour Party in the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency against Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron. | Eighteen-year-old Aldridge is standing for the Labour Party in the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency against Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron. |
| “I was really gutted that Labour didn’t win [in 2015],” he said, according to the Huffington Post. “So I vowed I would do all I could to prevent that happening again. | “I was really gutted that Labour didn’t win [in 2015],” he said, according to the Huffington Post. “So I vowed I would do all I could to prevent that happening again. |
| “The party has the interests of young people at its heart and they welcomed me in,” he added. | “The party has the interests of young people at its heart and they welcomed me in,” he added. |
| Aldridge decided to run for MP despite the fact he’s sitting his A-level exams during election week. | Aldridge decided to run for MP despite the fact he’s sitting his A-level exams during election week. |
| “In the last seven years, young people have been disproportionately affected by harsh cuts,” said Aldridge. | “In the last seven years, young people have been disproportionately affected by harsh cuts,” said Aldridge. |
| “We have had our tripling of tuition fees, we have had the scrapping of EMA [Education Maintenance Allowance], we have had housing benefits for 18-21s cut completely and we have had maintenance grants turned into maintenance loans. | “We have had our tripling of tuition fees, we have had the scrapping of EMA [Education Maintenance Allowance], we have had housing benefits for 18-21s cut completely and we have had maintenance grants turned into maintenance loans. |
| “But there’s no one in Parliament that has had that experience, because they’re older,” he added. | “But there’s no one in Parliament that has had that experience, because they’re older,” he added. |
| Mr Fish Finger | Mr Fish Finger |
| As if Tim Farron didn’t already have enough on his plate with this schoolboy challenger – a man dressed as a giant fish finger is also out to take his seat. | As if Tim Farron didn’t already have enough on his plate with this schoolboy challenger – a man dressed as a giant fish finger is also out to take his seat. |
| Mr Fish Finger, who hopes to put Farron in his “plaice,” first made headlines when he posted a survey on social media questioning the Lib Dem leader’s trustworthiness. | Mr Fish Finger, who hopes to put Farron in his “plaice,” first made headlines when he posted a survey on social media questioning the Lib Dem leader’s trustworthiness. |
| “There was a poll run on Twitter asking who would you trust more, Tim Farron or a fish finger? The fish finger polled 92 percent. So I thought, ‘if a fish finger can do that, why not stand as one?’” he said, according to Total Politics. | “There was a poll run on Twitter asking who would you trust more, Tim Farron or a fish finger? The fish finger polled 92 percent. So I thought, ‘if a fish finger can do that, why not stand as one?’” he said, according to Total Politics. |
| Mr Fish Finger’s main pledges include free fishing rods for students, free fish for NHS workers and unrestricted fish migration. | Mr Fish Finger’s main pledges include free fishing rods for students, free fish for NHS workers and unrestricted fish migration. |
| The breaded cod favorite managed to crowdfund £2,301 ($2,959) in just 28 days to cover his campaign expenses. | The breaded cod favorite managed to crowdfund £2,301 ($2,959) in just 28 days to cover his campaign expenses. |
| Channeling another orange politician, he told RT he wants to “hake Britain great again.” | Channeling another orange politician, he told RT he wants to “hake Britain great again.” |
| Little is known about Mr Fish Finger’s stance on Brexit, but he did say there would be “no more foreign fish in our fingers” if he wins on June 8. | Little is known about Mr Fish Finger’s stance on Brexit, but he did say there would be “no more foreign fish in our fingers” if he wins on June 8. |
| Aidan Powlesland | Aidan Powlesland |
| The UK Independence Party (UKIP) has come a long way since its foundation in 1993, establishing itself as a tenable party. Critics, however, have been known to portray its local activists as bigoted, “swivel-eyed” loons. | The UK Independence Party (UKIP) has come a long way since its foundation in 1993, establishing itself as a tenable party. Critics, however, have been known to portray its local activists as bigoted, “swivel-eyed” loons. |
| Some of the policies tabled by UKIP’s South Suffolk candidate Aidan Powlesland are pretty out of this world. | Some of the policies tabled by UKIP’s South Suffolk candidate Aidan Powlesland are pretty out of this world. |
| Powlesland has pledged to make post-Brexit Britain a leading country in asteroid mining for platinum and water. | Powlesland has pledged to make post-Brexit Britain a leading country in asteroid mining for platinum and water. |
| He says he will dedicate £100 million to the construction of an “interstellar colony ship” and has promised a £1 billion award to any company capable of “profitably mining the asteroid belts” by 2026. | He says he will dedicate £100 million to the construction of an “interstellar colony ship” and has promised a £1 billion award to any company capable of “profitably mining the asteroid belts” by 2026. |
| According to BuzzFeed, when asked if such starry-eyed plans reflect the will of UKIP devotees, he said somewhat opaquely: “I suppose the absence of the centrality of a proposition within a general dialogue doesn’t necessarily mean that the dialogue is heading in the correct direction.” | According to BuzzFeed, when asked if such starry-eyed plans reflect the will of UKIP devotees, he said somewhat opaquely: “I suppose the absence of the centrality of a proposition within a general dialogue doesn’t necessarily mean that the dialogue is heading in the correct direction.” |
| By Claire Gilbody-Dickerson, RT |
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