You can find most things for sale eBay but before now, a used politician has not been among them.

But Conservative candidate for North Thanet Sir Roger Gale is now listed on the auction site with a starting price of 99 pence - with the additional postage cost of 76 pence.

The seller appears to be a Green Party voter who describes the candidate in the listing as “vintage.”

The listing adds: “It’s the 1943 “Sir Roger Gale” model in Tory blue and has had three careful female owners. It has high mileage but comes with a full service history and all the updates from Conservative Central Office.”

It goes on: “The “Sir Roger” has served us well, but we fear it is just beginning to show signs of wear and tear, so we are selling it as spares or repair. (We’ll chuck the elephant tusk in for free.) We are planning to replace it with a 1982 model, the “Ed Targett” in British Racing Green.”

“The “Sir Roger” has served us well, but we fear it is just beginning to show signs of wear and tear, so we are selling it as spares or repair" - eBay listing

That is a reference to the Green party candidate in the constituency, Ed Targett, who is described in the listing details as a significantly more modern example and we believe that it will be a hard-working, environmentally friendly MP and a real workhorse for us here in North Thanet; we’ve put it through a full inspection at the Hustings Garage.”

Seller Jamblichus9, who claims to have 100% positive feedback, adds: “This is just a snapshot of this exceptionally well maintained example, which over the years has worked hard in the community while advocating mass privatisation; voting to sell off England’s publicly owned forests; voting to cut corporation tax, etc.”

There is a hitch for any prospective buyer however: the item is listed as collection only and whoever secures it will need a large net.

And if anyone remains unaware - unlikely as it seems - that it is a spoof, they will by the time they have read the full listing:

“The winner of this auction will not actually win the real Sir Roger Gale, for which you can blame the Slavery Abolition Act 1833. They will, instead, win a cheaply printed image of Sir Roger Gale holding an elephant tusk. What’s not to love?”