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More on KentOnline
Within hours of the General Election being called last night, Sheppey's 'Mad Mike' Young had thrown his hat into the ring to represent the Official Monster Raving Loony Party.
He said: "I am delighted to announce that I am standing as a candidate in the Sittingbourne and Sheppey Constituency.
"With astonishing efficiency and promptness, the democratic and electoral services department at Swale Borough Council had supplied me with nomination papers before 9am this morning."
This will be the sixth General Election he has stood in the constituency to become MP.
He said: "The only person who comes anywhere near that is Gordon Henderson who has four under his belt so far.
"Therefore, I consider myself to be the Father of the General Election and as the most senior figure, I urge fellow candidates to engage in this contest in an honest and honourable way."
He added: "My election machine is up and running; I’ve oiled the chain and pumped up the tyres. I have thrown my ring into the hat. I'm now off to source a supply of bananas."
The fruit has always been his trademark.
Mr Young, 68, of Parsonage Chase, Minster, was at the Loony Party annual conference in September at the George and Dragon pub in Belper, Derbyshire, where members took turns to step in and out of an old wardrobe laid out on the ground.
He explained: "Every year we have a cabinet re-shuffle."
He is a former winner of the World Plank Walking Championships and a founder member of the Minster-on-Sea Rotary Club.
He added: "I have set a firm timetable: Christmas will be postponed till December 25; the clocks will go forward by one year at midnight on December 31 and Brexit will be delivered on February 31. If this does not happen then I would rather somebody other than me be found dead in a ditch."
Gordon Henderson has confirmed he will be standing again for the Conservatives. He won last time with a majority of 15,211 and remains a Brexit supporter.
Also lined up to fight the election on Thursday, December 12, are Cllr Ben J Martin who has been selected by the Lib Dems and working mum Evie Martin who will fight for the Brexit Party.
Mike Rolfe, who fought for Labour at the last election, quit the party in August over Jeremy Corbyn's stance on Brexit. The party has yet to select its candidate.
Sam Collins will be representing the Greens.
The final list of all candidates will be confirmed on Friday, November 15.
