A colourful history of novelty political candidates taking on the elite (2024)

Politics

As well as making politics more accessible and irreverent, spoof candidates can embarrass established politicians and the hard right

by: Professor Paul Jackson

4 Jul 2024

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While Ed Davey mastered the art of the humorous photoshoot in the 2024 general election, 2017 saw a previous Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, competing against a man dressed as a fish finger. Elsewhere, reflecting a peculiarly British approach to democracy, other recent novelty candidates have included Lord Buckethead and Count Binface, someone dressed as Elmo, and various representatives of the Monster Raving Loony Party.

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Driven by a range of concerns, from political satire to earnest campaigning on a single issue, or just a general call for democratic engagement, early examples of this British tradition of novelty political candidates include naval hero and cyclist lieutenant commander William ‘Bill’ Boaks. He stood in 28 elections from 1951, firstly attempting to oppose Clement Attlee, but unfortunately registering for the wrong constituency.

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Boaks became known for his extravagant bikes plastered with road safety messages, and tragically died in 1986 from injuries sustained in a road traffic incident.

However, such politics is typically dated to ‘Screaming Lord’ Sutch’s National Teenage Party in the 1960s. It framed an upstart agenda as one opposing a political culture epitomised by the Profumo affair. Sutch argued that if older people behaved so badly then younger people should be able to vote from 18. Reducing the voting age from 21 was one policy that subsequently became law. Others included legalising commercial radio, abolition of the 11 Plus exam and the pedestrianisation of Carnaby Street – the latter also supported by Boaks [and which happened in 1973].

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In the 1970s, the trend continued, notoriously spoofed by Monty Python’s election night special sketch. Referencing a similar parody by The Goodies, the 1976 Cambridge by-election saw Philip Sargent stand for a party called Science Fiction Looney. While being defeated comfortably by the Conservatives, Sargent’s campaign also opposed a racist National Front candidate.

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Meanwhile, in 1979 Private Eye’s Auberon Waugh campaigned under the Dog Lovers’ Party to draw attention to the Liberal Party’s Jeremy Thorpe. He was facing trial for conspiracy to murder, a situation which came to light after the shooting of a dog in a potential assassination attempt. Thorpe was acquitted later that year, but not before he lost his seat.

As for Sutch, he returned to the fray and founded the Monster Raving Loony Party in 1982. The party became synonymous with novelty candidates, outsized rosettes, flamboyant outfits and ostensibly absurd manifestos. To discourage such candidates, in 1985 the deposit for election to the House of Commons was raised from £150 to £500.

Despite this, by the 1990s other novelty candidates included Mr Blobby, standing for the House Party in the 1995 Littleborough and Saddleworth by-election. He was opposed by Sutch, who roundly beat Blobby by 782 votes to 105.

More recently, professional comedians have become involved. In 2015, Al Murray’s pub landlord campaigned in South Thanet against Nigel Farage, then leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). Murray’s Free United Kingdom Party (f*ckP) spoofed Farage’s politics and drew much media attention. Yet this intervention led to some locals criticising Murray for mocking genuine issues to promote his career. In response, Murray turned his campaign into one encouraging people to vote.

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While the Monster Raving Loony Party continues, and impressively stood 22 candidates in the 2024 general election, Count Binface has sought to dominate this space in recent times. His character was inspired by Lord Buckethead, who first appeared as a spoof Darth Vader figure in the 1984 film Gremloids, and in 1987 stood against Margaret Thatcher.

Buckethead later represented the Monster Raving Loony Party, including challenging Boris Johnson. Yet Binface’s recent industriousness and development of the spoof candidate as art form is particularly notable, and includes a website, social media strategy, podcasts, media endorsem*nts and a sustained effort to interlace serious themes with a largely absurdist agenda.

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Finally, as well as making politics more accessible and irreverent, Binface continues a trend of such candidates embarrassing populists and the far-right. Notably, in the 2024 London mayoralty election Count Binface secured 3,741 more votes than a far-right competitor candidate. In response, Sadiq Khan thanked Binface for his steely campaign and highlighted his successes as “another reason to love London”.

Paul Jackson is a professor in the history of radicalism and extremism at the University of Northampton.

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A colourful history of novelty political candidates taking on the elite (2024)

FAQs

What is an example of a political elite? ›

According to Mills, the governing elite in the United States primarily draws its members from political leaders, including the president, and a handful of key cabinet members, as well as close advisers, major corporate owners and directors, and high-ranking military officers.

What are the seven political parties? ›

Today, America is a multi-party system. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party are the most powerful. Yet other parties, such as the Reform, Libertarian, Socialist, Natural Law, Constitution, and Green Parties can promote candidates in a presidential election.

What are the political parties in the US? ›

In the U.S. these two parties are the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. Other parties, often generally termed “third parties”, in the U.S. include The Green Party, Libertarians, Constitution Party and Natural Law Party.

How did many of the founders of the United States view political parties? ›

At first, our nation's founders—including Hamilton, Jefferson, and others—believed political parties were evil and a threat to the new nation. But these early American leaders soon began to invent a new and important role for political parties in a democracy.

What is the elite theory in politics? ›

The theory posits that a small minority, consisting of members of the economic elite and policymaking networks, holds the most power—and that this power is independent of democratic elections.

What is an elite political party? ›

Elite parties form as groupings of elite members particularly in situations where an individual politician's political standing can be secured without the support of large populations. An elite party can form internally in the parliament and its political power is derived from that of its individual members.

What does gop stand for? ›

The Republican Party, also known as the GOP (Grand Old Party), is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States. It emerged as the main political rival of the then-dominant Democratic Party in the mid-1850s, and the two parties have dominated American politics ever since.

What do Republicans believe in? ›

The positions of the Republican Party have evolved over time. Currently, the party's fiscal conservatism includes support for lower taxes, gun rights, government conservatism, free market capitalism, free trade, deregulation of corporations, and restrictions on labor unions.

What do Democrats believe in? ›

From workers' rights to protecting the environment, equal pay to fighting the special interests, Democrats believe we can and should make life better for families across our nation. fairness, justice, and equality for all by standing up for all middle-class Americans and those struggling to get there.

What is the difference between liberals and conservatives? ›

In politics, researchers usually define “conservativism” as a general tendency to resist change and tolerate social inequality. “Liberalism” means a tendency to embrace change and reject inequality.

What is the difference between a Republican and a Democrat? ›

The Democratic Party typically supports a larger government role in economic issues, backing regulations and social welfare programs. The Republicans, however, typically want a smaller government that is less involved in the economy.

What are the beliefs of the Libertarian party? ›

The platform emphasizes individual liberty in personal and economic affairs, avoidance of "foreign entanglements" and military and economic intervention in other nations' affairs, and free trade and migration. The party opposes gun control.

When Democrats and Republicans cooperate with one another, it is called? ›

Bipartisanship (in the context of a two-party system) is the opposite of partisanship which is characterized by a lack of cooperation between rival political parties.

What are some problems in America today? ›

Changes in views of the country's top problems
  • Partisan differences in views of inflation. Eight-in-ten Republicans and independents who lean to the Republican Party say that inflation is a very big problem. ...
  • Federal budget deficit. ...
  • Unemployment. ...
  • Illegal immigration. ...
  • Crime and gun violence. ...
  • Climate change. ...
  • Racism.
May 23, 2024

What did the founding fathers disagree on? ›

They disagreed over the proper allocation of federal and state power over domestic policy, the response to the French Revolution, the constitutionality of the Bank of the United States, and the bedrock values of American foreign policy.

What are examples of the power elite? ›

the "Chief Executives:" presidents and CEOs of the most important companies within each industrial sector. the "Corporate Rich:" major landowners and corporate shareholders. the "Warlords:" senior military officers, most importantly the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

What does elitist mean in politics? ›

Elitists tend to favor social systems such as technocracy, combined with meritocracy and/or plutocracy, as opposed to political egalitarianism and populism. Elitists believe only a few "movers and shakers" truly change society, rather than the majority of people who only vote and elect the elites into power.

What is the political elite class? ›

Political class (or political elite) is a concept in comparative political science, originally developed by Italian political theorist Gaetano Mosca (1858–1941). It refers to the relatively small group of activists that is highly aware and active in politics, and from whom the national leadership is largely drawn.

Who are the liberal elite in America? ›

Liberal elite, also referred to as the metropolitan elite or progressive elite, is a term used to describe politically liberal people whose education has traditionally opened the doors to affluence, wealth and power and who form a managerial elite.

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