Why political candidates dress up to run in major UK elections

While The Official Monster Raving Loony Party kicks members out if they stand a chance of winning an election, certain policies it has campaigned on since it formed in 1983 have become law.

For example, throughout the 1980s the party campaigned for pubs to remain open during the day, rather than shutting in the afternoons – something which came into force in 2005.

The party also called for the reduction of the voting age to 16 since it formed – 16 and 17-year-olds can now vote in certain elections in Scotland and Wales.

Labour also introduced a bill in February to lower the voting age to 16 for all UK citizens.

In 1985, the Conservative government, then led by Margaret Thatcher who Sutch also ran against, introduced laws that candidates who poll less than 5% of the total valid votes will lose their deposit.

However, a year later, then-home office minister David Mellor conceded the policy had not worked, as candidates including Sutch ran in the 1986 Fulham by-election in costume.