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Lord Buckethead Picks Up Nearly 300 Votes In U.K. Election

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

Theresa May won her own seat easily, but one of her opponents exceeded expectations. This was from the announcement of official results in May's district.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Jonathan David, known as Lord Buckethead - 249.

(APPLAUSE, CHEERING)

SIEGEL: Two-hundred-forty-nine votes for Lord Buckethead. Picture a line of politicians in conventional attire and Lord Buckethead wearing all black and a very tall black bucket over his head - further down the line, the candidate of the official Monster Raving Loony Party and another candidate in a giant Elmo costume. If it sounds like a scene from Monty Python, that's no coincidence.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS")

JOHN CLEESE: (As commentator) Hello, and welcome to Election Night Special. There's great excitement here at the moment as...

SIEGEL: In 1970, Monty Python did an election night sketch - the Sensible Party versus the Silly Party, whose candidates mostly wore clowns suits.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS")

CLEESE: (As commentator) Well, there's the first result. And the Silly Party have held Leicester. What do you make of that, Norman?

MICHAEL PALIN: (As commentator) Well, this is largely, as I predicted, except that the Silly Party won.

(LAUGHTER)

SIEGEL: Thus began a real-life British political tradition. In 1981, there was an election to fill a parliamentary vacancy, and a Cambridge student legally changed his name to that of a Python Silly Party candidate.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS")

GRAHAM CHAPMAN: (As commentator) Tarquin Fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-F'tang-F'tang-Olé-Biscuitbarrel, Silly...

SIEGEL: As for Lord Buckethead, a candidate of the same name took on Margaret Thatcher in 1987. He won 131 votes. So in 2017, Lord Buckethead claims his 249 votes. Mark a new record for Lord Buckethead.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.