Benny Hill Candidate Chosen for Bristol West

Bristol West has been selected as the only constituency in Britain to

have a parliamentary candidate representing The People's Manifesto - a

platform of policies selected by the audiences at shows by comedian Mark

Thomas. The successful candidate - Danny Kushlick, aged 47 - is founder of Transform Drug Policy Foundation based in

Easton.

Comedian and writer Mark Thomas collected the ideas for

the Manifesto during his 2009 tour when members of the audience wrote

down their ideas at the start of the show. These were passed to Mark

backstage who would then turn them into a spontaneous discussion and

comedy routine. The winning policies were decided

"using the method of "who shouts loudest" " says Thomas, who was awarded the title of World Record Holder by The Guiness Book of

Records in 2006 for the "most number of political demonstrations in 24

hours". 

The nationwide competition to

find a candidate to represent the Manifesto began with applicants being asked the question "Why do

you want to stand as an MP? Anyone who responded using the words "public

service", "duty" or "needs of the community" was immediately rejected."

says Thomas, who adds that he is "delighted that Danny is now the

official candidate for the People's Manifesto."

Father-of-three

Kushlick will have his £500 deposit paid for to enter the poll and will

be given £500 to spend on promoting his campaign. The former care worker

says that, if elected, he does not plan to take Britain into any wars

and "is excited about becoming the next Home Secretary."

Should

Kushlick be elected by the voters of Bristol West on May 6th

(overturning a LibDem majority of 5,000), the local electorate can look

forward to a range of innovate policy options being expressed in the House of

Commons. Official policies of the People's Manifesto include: 

"Whenever

there is a barny in the House of Commons, they should play the Benny

Hill theme tune"

"Models should be chosen at random from the

electoral roll"

"Legalise all drugs"

"There should be a

maximum wage"

"Windsor to be renamed Lower Slough"

"MPs

should have no job other than that of MP"

"Politicians should

have to wear tabards displaying the names and logos of the companies

with whom they have a financial relationship, like a racing driver"

"There

should be a public referendum before going to war"

In his

first official foreign policy pronouncement, Kushlick, who describes

himself as a "committed iconoclast" says, that "the most important

special relationship isn't with the US, but with your mum."

Redland People, which will remain editorially neutral during the election, says: roll on May 6th.