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.